my destiny (lies in the hands that set me free)
by Tarafina
Summary: Caroline Salvatore has spent nearly all of her 145 years of undead life cleaning up her brother Damon's messes. But when a familiar face draws her home to Mystic Falls, nothing could have prepared her for what was to come. [AU – Caroline and Stefan, life switch]
1. 1864

**title** : my destiny (lies in the hands that set me free)  
 **category** : vampires diaries (tv)  
 **genre** : drama/romance  
 **ship** : caroline/stefan ; bonnie/damon ; sarah/matt  
 **chapter rating** : pg-13/teen  
 **overall rating** : nc-17/r  
 **warning(s)** : explicit violence, strong language, sexual content  
 **word count** : 3,503  
 **summary** : Caroline Salvatore has spent nearly all of her 145 years of undead life cleaning up her brother Damon's messes. But when a familiar face draws her home to Mystic Falls, nothing could have prepared her for what was to come. [AU – Caroline and Stefan, life switch]

* * *

 **-1-**

[ **1864** ]

Were one to ask Caroline Salvatore how she expected to die, she could honestly say that it would not have been in the middle of a dirt road, while attempting to help her impulsive, love-struck brother rescue his vampire lover from certain death. And yet… That was exactly how it happened.

Laying in the dirt, she stared dimly at the night sky, watching a comet crawl slowly across a dark blanket of twinkling stars, gasping her last breaths, a hand atop the gaping wound where once her belly had been intact. Blood seeped through the cracks between her fingers, warm and sticky. Most certainly, it was an unnecessary thought, but she couldn't help the errant musing that her dress had been new and was now surely unfixable. Her brother would deem her last thoughts utterly moronic and uninspiring, as he was surely thinking of his _great love_ Katherine Pierce.

Caroline had a few choice words for the woman they had failed to save, none of which were kind. But once upon a time… a few short weeks ago, in fact, she too would have thought of Katherine with fondness. Perhaps it was her brother's one unfailing flaw. Though he would deny it with every fiber of his being, Damon was a ridiculous romantic. Even, sadly, when the one he'd given his heart to had never deserved it in the first place. And now, due to such frivolity, she would be joining him in death.

Turning her head, she sucked in one last struggling breath, and let her gaze land upon the only man she had ever held a fondness for. Her big brother, her mentor, the hand that always led her to safety, the smirk that promised good humor, and the pale blue eyes that had, up until most recently, never failed her. She wondered if he thought it worth it in the end. And then, she wondered nothing at all.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

The sun was so warm, and yet Caroline couldn't quite shake off the cold feeling that had settled into her bones. She found Damon by the edge of the creek, pale-faced and teary-eyed.

It had been a surprise, to say the least, to find herself awake and alive, lying on the floor of an abandoned quarry, just north of town, with Emily Bennett standing nearby, keeping watch. The fact that Katherine had been compelling Caroline to drink her blood for weeks was not nearly as big a shock as it should have been. Much as they didn't always see eye to eye, there was a time when things were different… When _they_ were different. But it was brief, and Caroline had made her opinion very clear. Or, at least, she _thought_ she had. Katherine had a way of seeing things her own way, no matter what anyone else said.

"I woke up last night, I didn't know where I was," Damon said, seeming to have noticed her presence at his back. "I went to the church and I saw them drag her inside… Then they set fire to it. And the whole church went up into flames." He turned his head then to look up at her, his gaze still distant and his mouth trembling. "They killed her, Caroline. She's gone." A tear streamed freely down his cheek.

Caroline drew a deep breath and folded her hands together. "I'm sorry… I know how much she meant to you."

"To us, you mean?" Damon cast his gaze back out to the creek. "Or would you lie about your affections even now?"

She swallowed tightly, biting the inside of her lip. "She was always yours, Damon. I… She was curious about me; that was all."

"And what curiosity was there to be found in a kiss, hm?" He looked back to her, a brow raised. "I'm not accusing you, sister. She told me of her liaison with you. We kept no secrets."

"It was no liaison. It was a kiss. One _taken_ rather than freely given, and I'd thank you to remember it." She balled her fingers up when her hands shook. "We are squabbling over nothing. Katherine is dead, and you loved her. I'm sorry we could not save her."

Humming, he nodded, and let his eyes wander once more.

Needing a distraction, she walked past him toward a bucket by a pair of large, mossy rocks. "We should clean your shirt; the blood might yet come out." She gathered the bucket and dipped it into the water. When it was filled, she walked back to him, picking up the shirt he'd shucked and dipping it into the water. "Do you think father knows that we've… _died_?"

"As if he would care," Damon muttered. "He betrayed us."

"Can you truly blame him? Katherine was not the only vampire in town, there were others, and some were not so kind."

"I care little for the town. What good has it done for me? People we grew up with, that we'd known all our lives, are the same that shot us dead."

"It sounds so simple when you say it like that." She shook her head, and rung out his shirt of the chilly water, passing it toward him. Her dress, regrettably, was unsalvageable, just as she had expected, but Emily had brought a spare for her. Though the fabric was a little rougher in texture than she was used to, it fit well. "And whether you care for the town or not, this was our _home_ , and I understand why they would want to defend it. Even from the likes of us."

He scoffed bitterly. "Saint Caroline, empathizing with all she meets, even the ones that readily shoot her in the belly."

"Better to be shot in the front that stabbed in the back," she murmured.

He turned to look at her, his brow furrowed, and then stopped, blinking wildly and turning away. "The sun hurts my eyes."

"It's a part of the transition. The pain and discomfort, it's all a sign that we need to finish what was started, or die as the townsfolk intended." She sighed, shaking her head.

"That's not going to happen," Damon told her.

"What isn't? _Death_." She snorted, in a fashion her father would have scolded her for being quite unladylike. "I think we've quite proven that."

"No, the transition will not happen."

Caroline paused, and then frowned at him. "You would rather die?"

"This was all to be with Katherine," he reminded her. "She's gone… I want it over."

Staring at him a long moment, she felt a heavy weight settle in her stomach, and then a flood of anger rushed through her. "You romantic _idiot_ ," she spat.

"Caroline…" he sighed, rolling his eyes heavenward. "You must understand—"

"I mustn't do _anything_." Pushing up from the ground, she found herself even angrier when her heels slipped in the mud and he reached to steady her, to which she slapped his hand away. "You _begged_ me to help you save her, Damon. It was because of _your_ desperation and love that I found myself in the woods in the middle of the night. Because of your _obsession_ with that—that _woman_ that I am even here, contemplating the virtues of life or death. And when the only option for any chance of surviving past this moment is upon us, you would abandon me to your sacrifice for _true love?_!"

His jaw ticked as he stared up at her.

Her cheeks were damp with tears that she was adamant were of the angry variety, and before he could say anything more, she turned on her heel to march away.

"Where are you going?" he called after her.

"What do you care?" she shouted back. "You'll have no responsibility to me after today."

She heard the exasperated sigh he let out, but refused to turn and see him.

"Caroline…"

Continuing forward, she shook her head, and wiped her cheeks with the backs of her hand. If he would not live, she would not cry for him.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

When Caroline returned home, the halls were empty, echoing with the sound of a childhood lost. It was a funny concept, that home was where everyone turned to in the darkest of hours. Even when home, to her, had never been a bright place. Well, no, that wasn't true. There were times, brief as they were, in which life had been kind to her. Weeks at a time, when her father was away on business trips, and her mother was still alive to hug and kiss and cuddle her. When Lily would stand at her back and brush her hair or have tea parties with her in the garden or play the piano as Caroline sang. But then her father would return, and with him came the dark cloud of discipline and cold, unforgiving rules that were never to be broken or bent. Despite this, Caroline tried to love her father as her mother would have wanted her to. She tried to hope that there was something in him that was salvageable. But, like her dress, Giuseppe Salvatore had always been and would always be, beyond repair or redemption.

She found him in the office, quite predictably she thought, penning away in his journal. She wasn't certain what she had expected. A broken man drowning his sorrows in a bottle of liquor, begging for forgiveness, or for God themselves to return his children to him. But instead, he shed no tears, seeming calm and collected for a man who had lost his only children.

She stood in the doorway, her hands folded across her stomach. "Papa."

"Dear God." Giuseppe gasped and stood from his desk to stare, wide-eyed, at her.

She saw no hope, no joy, just _shame_ , and it hurt far more than she expected.

He slowly began to circle the desk, never relieving her of his gaze. "You're one of them now."

"No. Not quite. It's a… delicate process. One that I'm still figuring out." She stepped into the room, and offered him a faint smile when he seemed to flinch. "Damon has made his decision… One that I don't support, wholly, but when has that made any difference? He's always made his own choices, regardless of what others thought." Her smile wavered. "It was a trait I often admired in him, but perhaps less so now."

Not seeming to hear a word she'd said, Giuseppe replied, "I watched you die."

Caroline went still then, her eyes searching his. "You were there when we were killed?"

Brow heavy atop his eyes, he said, quite simply, "I pulled the trigger myself."

Her head drew back then, eyes wide and eyebrows arched. Her hand rose to her throat as she felt a swell of emotion—Hurt? Bitterness? Betrayal? A mixture of all three, perhaps. "You did this to us… You— You _killed_ me, papa? Your own _daughter_?" Her eyes burned with tears. "And you couldn't stop at just one of your children; you had to kill us _both_!?"

"You were both dead to me the moment you sided with the vampires."

Caroline laughed, short and caustic. "Sided with them? I sided with my _brother_." She stabbed at her chest as she walked toward him. "My romantic _fool_ of a brother who thought he had found something worth dying for in Katherine Pierce. A woman, I might add, that _you_ invited into our home." She pointed at him accusingly. "A woman that seduced your son into thinking the only choice he had was to die in order to love her. And let us not forget that he would not have been so easily manipulated if only his father had treated him better. If only he had known love, _real_ love, in those around him, and didn't need to search for it elsewhere."

"You would blame me for your actions?" He sneered. "How typical of your kind."

"My _kind?_ " she scoffed. "If I'm a monster, it was of _your_ making, and it happened the day of my birth and no later."

"You speak blasphemy, and I only thank God your mother isn't alive to see what a disgrace you've become."

"Do _not_ speak of my mother," she spat through gritted teeth as she lurched forward another step. "She was better than you or I have ever been, and she would die a thousand deaths to have spared me and Damon your _pitiful_ attempt at being a father. Were she here now, it would not be I she would call a disgrace, but _you_!"

"Already the sickness has turned you into a vile and vicious creature!"

"Better that than whatever you would have of me."

"I would have nothing of you, _daughter_ ," he sneered, before grabbing up a shovel from the fireplace. He broke off the bottom as he brought it down over his knee and then raised the handle as a makeshift stake. "Nothing but your end!" He lunged at her, and Caroline, surprised by the attack, reacted by raising her arms up in defense. She tried to knock the stake from his hands, but an unexpected burst of strength forced her father across the room. He slammed into the wall and fell to the ground, the stake now embedded in his ribs.

Shock, regret, and horror flooded through her. "Papa!" she cried out, and hurried toward him, kneeling at his side on the floor. "I… I never meant to…" She stared down at the stake, her hands raised in a calming fashion. "Let me help you."

"Get away from me," he grunted.

"Will you not take my help even now, you—you stubborn _goat!_?" She glared down at him and reached for the handle, pulling it abruptly from his body.

He grunted at the pain and gasped for air, struggling as he laid in front of her.

Caroline nearly dropped the stake, but her eyes caught on the blood coating the end. The scent of it was… _intoxicating_. Her stomach twisted and turned, _hungry_. She could hear her heart – or was it her father's? – pounding in her ears. And her vision narrowed to the blood, coating her fingers, flowing freely from his wound, tempting her, drawing her every closer.

"Just a taste," she whispered to herself. "Just… a _drop_ …" She licked it from her fingers first, but it wasn't enough, she wasn't sure it would ever be enough, and then… She proved herself right.

As first victim's go, perhaps her father had it coming.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

When Caroline returned to the abandoned quarry, Damon was looking worse for wear. She could hear his weakened heart beating, see the sweat pearling on his sallow skin, and knew that his time was coming to an end.

"Brother."

Damon turned to her, his brow knitting as he blinked in confusion. "Who is he?"

Caroline glanced at the man beside her. "You're right, how rude of me." She turned to him, catching his gaze. "Tell me your name."

"Archibald," the compelled man answered her. "Archibald Franklin."

"There." She waved to him. "Mister Franklin was passing by the outskirts of town when I flagged his carriage. He was kind enough to stop for me." Flashing a smile at him, she said, "Isn't that right, Mister Franklin?"

"Yes, ma'am," he answered.

"This is my brother, Damon," she continued, drawing him a few steps closer.

Damon struggled to stand, his body weak. "Why have you brought him here?"

"Do you remember when I was younger, and you would tell me that I was terribly spoiled and selfish? When I would get a new gown and you would tell me that I was far too occupied with my appearance, or that it was unbecoming to look at myself too long in a mirror?"

He shook his head. "I was jesting. You know you're beautiful."

"I do, and I am," she admitted, quite frankly. "And I was only ever ashamed of that fact when you or father would tell me that I shouldn't be so sure of myself. That I should, what did he call it, 'quiet myself so others might hear the sound of their own, much more earned, accomplishments.'" Her smiled turned sharp. "Truthfully, I am selfish. And quite possibly conceited. But that is a separate issue, the more vital piece to take from this is that I am deeply _selfish_ , Damon. I make decisions that I know will benefit me more than other people. Perhaps it is how I was raised or perhaps it is simply a flaw in my character. Either way, I've made a decision."

He stared at her, frowning. "What decision is that?"

"I've decided… I won't let you die." She stepped forward, drawing Mister Franklin along with her, his arm tucked around her elbow. "I'm not ready to lose you, and since I'm likely to live a great deal longer than I ever expected, I want you to live just as long."

"Caroline… _No_." He shook his head and stumbled his way down a wooden step, keen to walk right past her and on into oblivion. "I have told you. Katherine is dead. There is nothing left for me."

"That is where you and I disagree… The way I see it, there is a great deal left to see and explore." She shook her head. "I know that right now you are grieving, but there are ways around that. Once you turn, you can make all those feelings go away. You can forget all this hurt and pain."

"I don't want to." He pushed past her, but Caroline grabbed at his wrist and drew him back.

"If you don't feed, you will _die_ , and no matter how many romantic illusions are playing havoc with your mind right now, that is not something to take lightly."

"Let me go," he told her, tugging at his arm.

"I won't." She drew Mister Franklin around to face him. "I have lost enough, brother. I won't lose you too." She turned then, her eyes darkening, and she buried her mouth against Mister Franklin's neck, piercing it with her teeth before she drew back. As the blood pearled against his pale skin, she pushed him forward, standing before Damon's mesmerized gaze. "Don't fight it. Let it happen."

Damon leaned closer, drawing a deep breath. Caroline stood, smiling, and wiped a dribble of blood from her own chin with her finger, licking it away as her brother met his destiny, teeth first.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"Are you happy now?" Damon wondered, peering at the night sky as he wiped blood from his chin. The poor Mister Franklin lay dead not but a few feet away. "This is what you wanted, wasn't it?"

"There are many things I wanted," Caroline replied. "The first being that I didn't die at seventeen, and yet here we are."

He snorted at that, and drew a hand back through his hair. "And what now, little sister? What plans do you have for us going forward?"

She turned to him, her arms wrapped around her knees as she sat atop the cold grass. "Truthfully, I had not planned past this moment."

He smirked at that. "You were always rather shortsighted."

She sniffed, irritably. "Forgive me for not planning out an eternity when I had never planned to live so long."

"Perhaps not an eternity, but you must have a plan for the near future. For tomorrow, at least."

Caroline hummed. "We must leave Mystic Falls… The world is huge, and there's much for us to explore. Perhaps tomorrow I will know more, but today… Today I only know that we're alive."

"What good it does us," he muttered.

Leaning over, she rested her head atop his shoulder. She could still smell Mister Franklin's blood drying on Damon's shirt and her teeth throbbed for a taste. But he was wrung dry, and though she wanted to feel something about that, she would much rather feel nothing at all. "Do you resent me for making you turn?"

"Honestly?" He paused. "Yes."

"Okay."

He frowned as he looked down at her, a brow raised.

"I will accept your resentment, even your hatred," she decided. "So long as you're alive."

"I will give you today. I cannot promise tomorrow."

She smiled. "If I have to fight you every day, I will. And I'll win."

He laughed, shaking his head. "Arrogant."

"It is not arrogance if you're right," she argued.

His mouth ticked up faintly, but fell just as swiftly. "What you said before, about turning it off… How do I do it?"

Caroline raised her head to look at him, her lips pursed thoughtfully. "Do you think it truly necessary?"

"I cannot feel like this forever…" His eyes swam with a sudden film of tears. "I love her, Caroline. I should have saved her. I should have—"

"Shhh…" She squeezed his arm and shook her head. "I will show you."

There were a great many things Caroline would grow to regret in her life; this was one of the biggest.

* * *

 **author's note** : _i can't even tell y'all how excited i am for this story, because there is so much awesome female friendship, steroline, caroline &damon brother/sister stuff coming. i've got 40k currently written and i'm trucking through at a good pace. while this does cover season one, it will focus primarily on caroline, stefan (who has a little sister, and she's awesome), damon, bonnie, and lexi. because if caroline was going to live stefan's life (minus the ripper side, because their personalities haven't switched, just their lives), then she deserved a lexi! so it does cover the timeline, but there are a lot of ways it changes. like, sarah salvatore is alive and living at the boarding house, and so is her mom, gail. so it'll have some unexpected faces and plots that didn't happen originally, but have been awesome to explore._

 _next chapter picks up in 2009, by the way. this is more like a prologue. there will be little flashbacks throughout, though!_

 _hope you enjoyed it, thanks so much for reading. please try to leave a review; they're my lifeblood._

- **lee | fina**


	2. 2009

**chapter rating** : pg-13/teen  
 **word count** : 4,787  
 **summary** : Caroline Salvatore has spent nearly all of her 145 years of undead life cleaning up her brother Damon's messes. But when a familiar face draws her home to Mystic Falls, nothing could have prepared her for what was to come. [AU – Caroline and Stefan, life switch]

* * *

 **-2-**

* * *

[ **2009** ]

It was strange being back in Mystic Falls. Aside from a few leftover architectural pieces, the town itself was very different from where it began. Caroline had visited over the years, carefully spaced so she wouldn't be recognized and her youthful appearance wouldn't invite questions. But returning _'home'_ had never been high on her priority list. More often than not, she came back to see family, to see how her fellow Salvatores had grown and changed over the years. Her great, great (etcetera) nephew Zach lived at the boarding house now, with his wife and daughter. Sarah was the reason Caroline was visiting. Just for the weekend, to see Sarah and spend some time with her. They Skype'd once a month and Sarah had spent a summer with Caroline when she was eleven. Zach trusted her with Sarah. Caroline had worked hard to show him that she never had or would harm a single hair on Sara's head. The rest of the world wasn't so promising. Caroline would know; she'd seen the darkest recesses of it. She'd even lived there for a while, with no humanity and a drive for chaos and blood. But that was _before_. Before Lexi, before she straightened herself out, before she forgave herself for her father's untimely death. She was better now. Not perfect, but as good as she was ever going to get.

Hugging her sweater around her a little tighter, she made her way through the woods. It was late. After a long day of shopping, Sarah had gratefully thrown herself into bed, surrounded by bags upon bags of new clothes, falling asleep with a happy grin pasted on her pretty face. It was common for Caroline to shower Sarah in gifts and attention since she didn't get to see her nearly enough, and her credit card was definitely feeling the aftereffects of her love.

While her niece was exhausted, Caroline was still wide awake and feeling nostalgic. She could hear the distant noise of teenagers getting drunk around a bonfire, deep in the woods, and walked in the opposite direction. While she could feed from humans, she avoided it when possible. Blood bags worked fine for her and she'd eaten before she left, to avoid any awkward run-ins. The last thing she needed was for someone to see her taking a bite out of a local and start spreading it through the town that vampires had returned to Mystic Falls. She would only be there one more day anyway, and then she could return to New York and the life she'd built there. For now, anyway. Eventually, she would have to move on from there too. But it was nice, this little vacation, spending time with Sarah, reuniting with Zach, seeing Gail. Vampire or not, they were her family and they always would be.

Not for the first time, she wondered what havoc Damon was causing somewhere. He hadn't answered her calls in a while, but there was always room on his voicemail for her to worry about him. He'd been doing good for a while, keeping out of trouble, but it only ever lasted for so long. She loved her brother, she really did. When the world went to hell and she was left to watch it go, she knew he'd be there with her. Possibly the only other one left. She and Damon were tied together for the rest of eternity, and it was mostly her fault. Even now, after everything that happened, everything they'd done, everything _he'd_ done, she didn't regret her decision to make him turn. She needed her brother in her life; even if he was being a menace, he was _her_ menace.

She was making her way toward the old Wickery Bridge, one of the few pieces of the original town, when she heard the squealing of tires and the sharp sound of wood splintering, followed by a splash. She hesitated for a moment. She'd avoided the town and the people that lived there thus far. She and Sarah spent much of their visit in the next county over, shopping, seeing movies, eating out at nice restaurants. Maybe Caroline was being paranoid, but she felt like it was still too soon for her to be seen by anyone. The last time she'd really visited Mystic Falls was 1994, when Sarah was born.

Eventually though, she knew she couldn't just let it happen, not when she had the ability to stop it. She raced through the woods and stopped atop the bridge, beside the gaping hole left in the side where a car had clearly run off the road and into the lake below. Gritting her teeth, Caroline ripped her sweater off.

"These are new jeans," she muttered to herself, but shook her head and dove forward, sinking into the inky water below. She swam down, toward where the headlights were still blinking in and out. The water was a lot colder than she expected, and felt like tiny needles pricking at her skin, but her healing abilities staved off much of it and soon she was next to the driver's side door. There was a woman in the passenger seat, either dead or unconscious, and a man in the driver's seat, awake and aware. He turned to look at her as she reached for the door handle, shaking his head and waving his arm behind him. Caroline frowned, and looked over to see another young woman, dark hair floating around her head, obscuring her face. His daughter, she guessed.

She moved to the back door and pulled it open, yanking it from its very hinges, and then she lurched inside, pulled the seatbelt out and grabbed the girl around the waist, pulling her free of her seat. She started kicking her legs then, dragging them both up from the bottom of the lake. The girl was dead weight, hanging limply in her arm, but Caroline had little trouble carrying her. By the time they broke through the water, she was an eerie color and Caroline put her on the bridge. She checked her pulse to find it faint but there, and began CPR. It wasn't until the third breath that she noticed it. Even with water-logged hair clinging to her face, Caroline could see the resemblance. On auto pilot, she continued chest compressions, but she stared down at the girl's face, fear and shock ricocheting through her.

And then the girl coughed, lake water spilling from her trembling mouth. Caroline turned her onto her side so she could retch it all out. Absently, she brushed the girl's hair from her face and stared at her searchingly, wondering if it was a trick of the light. But no, whoever this girl was, she looked _exactly_ like Katherine Pierce.

Caroline pushed away, crawling a few inches from the girl who lay panting, her eyes half-closed.

"D-Dad…? Mom?" she croaked, waving a directionless hand, as if to reach for them.

Caroline paused, and then looked back to the lake. She threw herself over the edge of the bridge and swam back toward the car, panic still eating at her nerves. She wasn't surprised to find that the man, this girl's father, she supposed, was no longer conscious. Had she taken too long or had there ever been a chance of saving him? She wasn't sure. But there was no changing it now. If she brought them to the surface, the police would ask questions. How did the girl save her parents when she was clearly barely conscious herself. While she didn't like it, Caroline had to leave them there. They would be found soon. And so would the girl. She could already hear the sound of an ambulance in the distance.

She'd been breathing when Caroline left her, as alive as she could get, and so Caroline swam instead to the edge of the lake, and crawled across the rocky ground to sit, panting, as she stared up at the broken bridge, where a girl with a familiar face laid.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Caroline didn't like the word 'stalker.' She preferred 'enthusiastic observer.'

"Pretty sure that's not how the Sheriff would see it," Sarah said from the passenger seat as she bit the end off of a carrot stick.

Rolling her eyes, Caroline reached over and stole a carrot from the bag in Sarah's lap. "Well, we'll never find out, because the _Sheriff_ won't find out..." She sat back in her seat and stared at the sullen group of people all collected around the gravesite, dressed in black. "She goes to your school?"

Sarah nodded, chewed up carrot pressed into her cheek as she said, "She's two years older than me, but yeah."

"And you've never noticed anything… odd?"

"Like she doesn't age?" Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Hate to break it to you, but she's definitely aged. I mean, I saw her in elementary school too. Elena Gilbert is just as human as I am."

Caroline frowned. "I don't get it… _How_ can she look like Katherine?"

"Genetics, maybe?" Sarah shrugged. "She could be a descendant, right?"

"Maybe," she muttered. "But it still seems weird."

"Weird that she looks like Katherine or weird that you just happened to save her life?" Sarah tossed another carrot into her mouth.

" _Both_." With a sigh, she fiddled with the key in the ignition.

"So… Does this mean you're staying?" Sarah looked over at her from the corner of her eyes. "'Cause stalking aside, that could be really cool. Not that I didn't have fun this weekend, but it's not a lot of time. If you stay, we can do more!"

"If I stay, I'm going to be spending a lot of my time 'enthusiastically observing' Elena Gilbert," she warned. " _But_ … That doesn't mean we can't still hang out."

"Cool. We can watch a movie tonight and you can tell me what you ' _observed_ '," she teased.

Caroline sighed. "Okay." She turned the car on. "But _today_ , you're going to school… And I'm going to have to call in reinforcements."

Sarah shrugged, sitting back in her seat. "Are you picking me up after school or am I bussing it?"

"I'll be there." Caroline pulled away from the curb, gaze lingering on Elena Gilbert as she peered solemnly down at the caskets of her parents. Caroline's heart clenched, both with sympathy and with her own personal guilt. Tearing her eyes away from her, she set them on the road, and listened half-heartedly as Sarah chattered on about the music on the radio.

She would give Elena today to put her parents to rest, but she needed to know who she was, where she came from, and how she looked like Katherine Pierce.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"You want me to… _what?_ "

Caroline sighed, rubbing at the space between her eyebrows irritably and paced around her bedroom, absently kicking the odd shoe out of her way. She'd only been back in Mystic Falls a week and her closet had already vomited much of its contents on the floor. "Listen, I know it's asking a lot, but will you _please_ just come to Mystic Falls?"

"Sure," Lexi agreed. "As soon as you explain _why_."

"There was this girl, well, a family really, that went off the bridge and they were drowning, so I—"

"Oh God, Caroline!" she exclaimed. " _Please_ tell me you didn't turn someone."

"What? _No_ , of course not!" She scoffed, offended. "I just jumped in to save them, and I did. Well, one of them. Her parents didn't make it. But that's not the point. I mean, it's sad, but it's not why you need to come here."

"Okay… Then what is?"

"The girl, I… She looked _exactly_ like Katherine."

Lexi went silent on the other end of the phone for three long, tense seconds. "You want me to take a plane and a bus to drag my ass over to Mystic Falls because some girl looks like your ex-girlfriend?"

"She wasn't my girlfriend!" Caroline stomped her foot before she continued pacing. "And that's so not the point. When I say she looked like Katherine, I mean she was an exact _replica_. That's not normal. And I need you to come down here and help me figure out _why!_ "

"Caroline… Seriously? Maybe you're overthinking this a bit. I mean, are you _sure_ she looked like Katherine?"

"I've been stalking her for three days, okay? She looks exactly like Katherine. It's freaky and unnerving and I need you to come here and see this and tell me that I'm not completely _crazy!_ "

"So you want me to lie?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Shut up..."

Lexi snorted. "Fine. I'll look up flights and—"

"I already booked you a flight over for tomorrow." She bit her lip sheepishly.

" _Care_!"

"I'm freaking out, okay?" She waved a hand dismissively. "You can complain about boundaries and stuff later, just make sure you're on that plane. I'll pick you up, you can skip the bus."

Lexi sighed. "All right. I'll be there."

Relieved, Caroline's eyes fell closed. "Okay. And Lexi?"

"Yeah?"

" _Thank you_."

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered, but didn't sound so annoyed anymore. "See ya soon, Babycakes."

Caroline laughed lightly. Saying goodbye, she hung up her cell phone and flopped back on her bed, a lump of a shirt under her right shoulder. Digging it out, she tossed it in the general direction of her closet and then frowned. She needed to clean her room, and then she needed a _plan_. A _real_ plan. Step One was already accomplished, drag Lexi in to help. Sure, having her best friend there wouldn't fix everything, but it was a good start to helping her figure out this whole crazy situation. Of course, she should probably run that by the other occupants of the house... It was _their_ home after all.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"Caroline…"

"I know, I know." She crossed her arms over her chest as she stepped further into Zach's office and took a seat in the chair in front of it. "Look, Lexi is a good person. She's like me. Sarah can tell you herself. Lexi helped me get control of _everything_. I only asked her here because I need her help."

Zach sighed, leaning back in his chair as he fiddled with a pen. He looked over to Gail, who was seated on the edge of his desk, her hands folded in her lap.

"How long do you think you'll be staying?" Gail wondered. She held up a hand and added, "We aren't asking you to leave. But you know as well as we do that the longer you stay, the more questions there are, and the more curious people around here become. It's a small town, people notice when something changes."

"I don't know," Caroline admitted. "I don't have a plan of action yet. I just… There is something going on and I need to figure it out. As soon as I do, I'll be gone, I promise you. But please, this isn't just for me. I can't leave until I know you're safe, and until I figure out what what's going on, I'm not sure you are."

Gail and Zach exchanged another look before returning their attention to her. Zach tapped a hand against his chin and then nodded. "Okay. Do whatever you have to do. Just… be careful. And try to keep us in the loop here. You haven't given us a whole lot to go on."

Caroline nodded. "I will. Just as soon as I know more."

"When is Lexi due to arrive?" Gail wondered.

"Today. I'm driving out to pick her up. Sarah asked to come, but she has school." Standing from her seat, Caroline looked between them. "Thank you, for trusting me."

"You've never given us reason not to," Gail said gently.

Half-smiling, Caroline nodded, and turned on her heel to leave. She just hoped that whatever happened, she didn't ruin that trust.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Two days later found Caroline and Lexi sitting in a car across the street from Elena Gilbert's house.

"How long are we going sit out here, and _what_ are you wearing?"

"For however long it takes and this is my stakeout outfit." Caroline looked down at herself. "All black so I don't stand out. Cute, right?"

Lexi rolled her eyes. "You know, usually when someone I haven't seen in a couple years calls me and asks me to visit, they don't drag me out to _spy_ on someone…"

Caroline shrugged. "Well, lucky for _you_ , your best friend is more unique than that."

" _Caroline_ …"

"Fine. But _seriously_ , I can't believe you're not freaking out." She stabbed a finger toward the Gilbert house. "There's a Katherine look-alike just roaming around the neighborhood!"

"Yes, a completely normal, _human_ girl who happens to bear an unfortunate likeness to Satan herself." Lexi nodded. "It sucks."

Caroline glared, her lips pursed. "'Sucks' is not what I would use to describe how monumentally _bad_ this is."

" _Why?_ So she looks like Katherine. Katherine is _dead_. This Gilbert girl is probably just a descendant of hers or something."

"What if you're wrong? What if this is like, some kind of _omen_ or something? I mean, of all the people in the world to look exactly like? _Katherine Pierce…_ " She shook her head. "I don't buy it. Something is going on."

"I know your brother is obsessed with her, and I know she turned your entire undead life on its head, but it was a long time ago. Don't you think it's time you let it go?" Reaching across the center console, Lexi squeezed Caroline's forearm gently. "She died, Carebear… Whatever she did, it's over."

"It'll never be over. Not when my brother still thinks the sun shines out of her dead ass." Scowling, she fiddled with the binoculars in her lap. "He doesn't remember her like I do, how manipulative she was, how she played with him and anybody she met… To him, she was like a flower among weeds. Rebellious and gorgeous and full of temptation."

"Damon wasn't the only one she tempted. And he wasn't the only one that loved her."

Caroline glanced at her. "I didn't love her, okay? I was just… another victim. An unwilling one, I might add."

Lexi nodded. "Yeah, I remember the story. Hard to forget."

Reaching for the steering wheel, Caroline's hands gripped and squeezed it tightly. "Yeah, it is. Look, I know I might be overreacting… But when you see the same face of the woman who changed your entire life in a girl you just saved from drowning, it's a bit of a mindbender. I just… I need to know for sure. I need to know that whatever happened with Katherine isn't going to happen again." She looked up toward the bedroom window of Elena Gilbert and said, "And I need to figure it out before Damon finds out she exists."

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"You want to do _what?_ "

"Hear me out..." Caroline began pacing from one end of the living room to the other while her audience- Zach, Gail, Sarah and Lexi- watched on in different states of surprise. Lexi was the mildest, her legs dangling over the edge of the armchair she was seated in. She already knew what Caroline had planned. Next was Sarah, who was warming up to the idea the more she thought about it. Gail seemed to be considering the pros and cons, and Zach-

"Are you out of your _mind?_ You can't just pose as teenagers and start going to the local high school!" he exclaimed, nearly standing from the couch before his wife drew him back, her hand steady on his forearm.

"Let's hear what she has to say before we offer criticism," Gail suggested.

He sighed, throwing a hand up, clearly certain the whole situation was absurd.

Caroline drew a deep breath. "Okay. I know this seems extreme, but I have a valid reason for doing it." She walked to a table and picked up the picture there. So sue her, she brought physical representations to sell her point home. She also had a pie chart. She just liked to be organized! "This is Katherine Pierce. Crazy, manipulative, so-called orphan, and vampire, circa 1864."

"Circa?" Lexi said, raising an eyebrow.

"Okay, _exactly_ 1864," she corrected. "Anyway. Katherine is the reason I turned, which, you know, in some ways, great opportunity. I wouldn't be if it hadn't happened. _But_ , the circumstances of that whole situation are very much _not_ great. Please refer to the crazy and manipulative parts I mentioned earlier. Now, this is Elena Gilbert..." She reached for another photo.

"Did you cut that out of my yearbook?" Sarah asked, frowning as she sat forward.

"Yes. Sorry. I'll tape it back in later." Caroline waved dismissively. "Note how they look _exactly_ the same, you know, minus the fashion differences..."

Zach sat forward, squinting at the two pictures. "What's this prove exactly?" he wondered.

"Nothing so far," she admitted. "But I think there's something very serious going on. And I know I've already spent two months finding exactly _zilch_ , but I think it's because I've been doing it from afar."

"Which is where the certifiably 'crazy' part comes in," Lexi muttered.

"If we could just get closer to her to ask some questions, to find out if she knows anything, to make sure that what I think I'm seeing isn't some fluke..." Caroline looked at everyone collected. "I know you all think that I'm being obsessive and neurotic and maybe I am, but I can't even _begin_ to explain to you who Katherine was and what she did and how much I regret not doing something when I should have. And I know that it's asking a lot of you, to let us stay here and infiltrate your lives like this and- and to ask you to lie to people you know, but... I think if we ignore this it could be a huge mistake."

Zach stared up at her, his hands clasped together tightly. "You're absolutely sure that this is the best course of action?"

"No," she admitted, shaking her head. "But it's the only thing I can think of."

He sighed, but turned to look at his wife and daughter for their opinions.

"I'm on board," Sarah said, shrugging. "The more the merrier."

Gail hummed, looking between them and then back to Caroline. "In all the years I've been a part of this family, you've only done your best by us... If you think this needs to happen, I'll support you."

Caroline breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you." She turned to Zach then. "I know it's a lot to ask..."

"It is," he agreed. " _But_... you're family. So, I guess we're all on board."

Beaming, she looked between them all. " _Good_. Okay, so, just some background details then..." She turned, rummaging around the table, and came back with three file folders, handing them out to each of them. "The short of it is that Lexi and I are Zach's nieces from New York and we've recently moved here following the death of our father..."

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Caroline frowned down at her phone as it buzzed in the lap of the passenger seat, demanding attention.

Her brother's smirking face flashed on the screen, the Answer and Ignore buttons just underneath it.

Chewing her lip, she reached over and pressed on the volume button, sending him to Voicemail. He would no doubt leave another irritated message, wondering where she was, what she was doing, and _why_ she wasn't hounding him, but he would just have to deal with it. If he caught wind of where she was and why, all hell would probably break loose. For now, he could wait.

Just then, the door to the Mystic Grill swung open, and Elena Gilbert walked out, her head tilted down, hair falling to cover her face, and a bag of food clutched in her hand. A car was waiting for her, the ever understanding Jenna Sommers at the wheel, smiling at her encouragingly as she circled the car to hop in on the passenger's side.

Caroline shifted forward and extended her hearing toward them.

"Hey... Was it bad?" Jenna wondered.

Elena shrugged as she sat and pulled the car door closed. She left the bag of food on her lap as she dragged her seatbelt down and on. "No, just... weird. Everybody was there and I was hiding near the front, hoping they wouldn't see me."

"Would it be so bad if they did...? You should be around friends, people who love you."

"I am. I've got you. And _we_ have food that is getting cold, so..."

"Okay." Jenna surrendered. "Message received."

"I know you're just trying to help," Elena murmured. "But I'm not ready yet."

"Okay. You're right. Just... let me know when you are."

The car pulled away from the curb then, and Caroline watched as it drove off in the distance, the two women soon distracted by a song on the radio, until their voices grew too distant for even her to hear.

Lingering in her car a while longer, she cast her gaze toward the Mystic Grill. Sarah liked to order from there sometimes; Caroline had driven her over to pick up take-out for everyone a few times. But Caroline was still operating under the radar. Until school started in September, she was staying out of sight and gathering as much information as she could. For now, that job was done. Elena was headed home, seemingly as normal as ever.

Grabbing up her phone, she dialed Sarah's number and waited.

"Hey," her niece greeted. "You're missing dinner. Mom cooked tonight."

Caroline smiled. "I'm on my way now. Save me some?"

"Sure. Hey, you wanna watch a movie tonight? I'm in a weird mood and want to eat rocky road ice cream and cry over fictional characters. Interested?"

Chuckling under her breath, Caroline turned her car on and nodded. " _Definitely_."

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"I still think this idea is nuts."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know. You haven't stopped reminding me."

Lexi shrugged, shifting back to lean against Caroline's headboard as she lay sprawled on her bed. "Maybe I'm hoping you'll come to your senses."

"You could leave, you know? I'm not holding you hostage..." She looked over at her briefly before returning to the laundry basket in front of her and folded up her clothes neatly.

"Leave you to your insanity? What kind of best friend do you take me for?"

Caroline smiled. Leaving her clothes, she circled around to her bed and laid down beside her, stacking her hands on her stomach. "Thank you for coming... and staying... and putting up with my crazy."

Leaning over, Lexi dropped her head to Caroline's shoulder. "You're welcome. And if anyone asks, I'm the older, more mature, _cooler_ sister _.._."

Laughing, Caroline nodded her head. "Deal."

* * *

 **[tbc]**

* * *

 **note** : _sorry this took so long, my dog chewed through the charging cord for my laptop and then I got massively sick. I'm still not over my flu and tomorrow I'm going in for a root canal, so my week has been spectacularly awful. :(_

 _this chapter felt a little choppy just because i'm trying to quickly cover the months between caroline realizing elena exists and moving into season one with the first day of senior year. i do love writing her friendships with sarah and lexi though, so i hope you enjoyed those scenes. also, unfortunately, stefan wasn't in this chapter, but he's coming, i promise!_

 _thank you all so much for reading and your kind reviews! please try to leave some feedback!_

 **\- lee | fina _  
_**


	3. first meetings

**chapter rating** : pg-13/teen  
 **word count** : 9,860

* * *

 **-3-**

* * *

It was officially the day before her Mystic Falls high school debut and Caroline was feeling oddly calm. Maybe it was the culmination of four months' worth of _observing_ , but she felt like she was ready to do this. Tomorrow they would talk to Elena, gain her trust, figure out what was going on, and then, well, as long as it wasn't anything too crazy, or dangerous, they could leave. Of course, if it _was_ crazy and dangerous, then she had to come up with a new plan of action.

The door to her bedroom swung open then and admitted her niece.

"Is this the part where you tell me not to make you look bad?" Caroline wondered.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Not… _exactly_."

"No?" She snorted. "You're not worried your _lame_ aunt might show up at school tomorrow and _soil_ the good family name?"

Scoffing, Sarah crossed the room to take a seat on the end of Caroline's bed. "There's not a whole lot to soil. I mean, I don't know if you've noticed, but we're pretty low key around here."

"This whole _town_ is low key," Lexi commented from where she lay sprawled on the bed, leafing through a magazine. "This is yours, by the way. I'll return it when I'm done soaking up the celebrity gossip."

Sarah shrugged. "Take your time."

"Low key or not, I promise I won't do anything to embarrass you. And neither will Lexi, isn't that right?" Caroline threw a nearby t-shirt at her friend, who frowned in her direction.

"Sure. No embarrassing the Pipsqueak, got it."

"And _no_ calling me 'Pipsqueak," Sarah groaned. "At least not where anyone can hear you. _Please_!"

Grinning, Caroline nodded. "Sure. No nicknames." She finished hanging up the last of her clothes and then walked toward her, arms crossed loosely over her chest. "So you know the story, right? You memorized the folder?"

"You're my long lost twin cousins, you moved around a lot, your parents died, and now you're staying with us." Sarah nodded. "That's it, right?"

"Yes!" Caroline took a seat at her desk chair. "Chances are, nobody will even ask. I mean, you're two grades below us, so…"

"Yeah, it's a small town, word travels. Trust me, they'll ask." She leaned back on her elbows. " _And_ … since I'm doing you this big favor and all, I was hoping you might do me one in return."

"You're not driving my car," she said, seriously. "You don't even have a license!"

Sarah shook her head. "No, not the car. Although a ride would be nice. But I was thinking… let me raid your closet?" She stared up at Caroline hopefully.

Caroline prolonged the agony a few seconds, but eventually said, "Sure. What's mine is yours. Just… don't spill anything on it."

"Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Hopping up off the bed, Sarah hurried over to the closet and began looking through Caroline's extensive wardrobe. "Is this real Italian leather?"

Caroline smiled. While her reasons for sticking around in Mystic Falls were shaky, at best, getting to spend some time with Sarah made it a little more worthwhile.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

A knock on his bedroom door drew his attention and Stefan looked up, hand instinctively moving to cover the new ink he'd penned across his journal. "Come in," he called, turning in his desk chair.

The door cracked open before Liz popped her head through and half-smiled at him. "It's late," she said, looking past him to his journal before her gaze softened and met his once more. "I saw the light on, wanted to check in with you."

He nodded. "Yeah, just finishing up, then I'm heading to bed."

"You've got everything you need for tomorrow?" The door opened a little wider and she stood against the jamb, arms loosely crossed over her chest. "Senior year, that's a big one… Won't be long before you've got your diploma and you're on your way to college." There was something sad and wistful about her voice, but she tried to cover it with a smile, her brows arching.

"Still got a year left," he said, tapping his fingers against the desk. "And I've got everything. I made sure I picked up some supplies for Eddy too. Lost her in the art supplies for a while, but I think she got a few things off the list the school sent."

"Good, good. I… I'm sorry I couldn't take her this year." She chewed her lip and looked to the floor. "I know it seems like you're taking on a lot more responsibility lately, especially with Eddy."

"I don't mind." He shook his head. "I know you're busy."

She winced. "I am. But I won't always be. I'm trying to rearrange my schedule, make things a little easier… I know I've said that before, but sometimes things happen, and I can't always plan for them, and—"

"Mom," he interrupted, half-smiling at her. "It's fine. I'm fine, Eddy's fine… we're _fine_."

Liz stared at him searchingly, before nodding slowly. "Would you tell me if you weren't?"

He hesitated, his eyes cutting away. Would he? He'd gotten used to the way his life was now. No dad, absent mom, just him and Eddy trying to make things work. It wasn't so bad. A little lonely sometimes, but maybe that was just how life was. _Lonely_. "What brought this up?" he wondered, dodging the question.

"I don't know. I've just been thinking… I guess I'm getting introspective these days. Comes with getting old," she joked lightly.

He rolled his eyes, lips quirking at the corners. "You're hardly old."

"Old _er_ ," she said, before shrugging. "I meant what I said before, about senior year, it's a big one, Stefan. A defining one. You start figuring out who you are and who you want to be and where you want to go. And maybe it'll be an hour away or half way across the country or in a completely different country altogether, I don't know. I _do_ know that when I was your age, friendships were up and down, there was drama around every corner, and even though there were days I never wanted to remember, when it was over, I wished I could do it all over again. Even the bad days." She shook her head, and took a deep breath. "I just want you to be happy. I want you enjoy your last year of high school. To be with your friends and do everything you want to do. And I don't want you to look back on it and feel like you missed even one second of something great."

He stared at her, at the faint lines around her eyes and the exhaustion settling on her shoulders, and he nodded. "Okay. I will."

She smiled then, looking ten years younger and happier. "You promise?"

He chuckled under his breath. "I promise."

"Good." She stood a little taller then. "I'm on call tonight, so I might not be here in the morning. But I picked up a few things for breakfast. Make sure you eat before you leave for school, okay?"

He nodded. "Sure."

"Okay." She reached for the door handle then, and pulled the door toward her. "Get a good sleep. I love you."

"Love you too."

As the door closed behind her, he lingered for a moment, staring at it, where old pieces of tape still hung from a poster long torn off and tossed away. It was a few minutes before he turned back around in his chair and focused on his journal once more, half of a sentence staring back at him.

 _I don't know what this year will bring, but_

His pen hovered over the page and, after a few seconds, he finally finished his thought.

 _I hope it's great. I hope I find whatever it is I'm looking for. I'm not sure what that is, but I'm ready to find out._

With that, he closed his journal, set it off to the side, and checked the clock. It was later than he wanted it to be, but he'd still get a solid six hours of sleep. Well, as long as Eddy didn't wake him up before his alarm. An unlikely hope, but one he had all the same. Dragging his blanket back from his bed, he climbed in, and reached for the lamp beside him.

Tomorrow, Stefan would be a high school senior, and life as he knew it would change completely.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

High school was vastly overrated, and Caroline knew this first hand. Ten times over. She wasn't as creepy as the Cullens— _so sue her, she watched Twilight, she was just curious!—_ keeping their graduation caps like some kind of memorial to their sad little lives, but she'd occasionally gone to school to keep up appearances or to see how the curriculum had changed. It was important to stay educated, and the world was always changing. She far preferred college to high school though. Much more liberal and far less dramatic. She could do without the catty 'mean girl' act that came with a new arrival. _But_ … quite unfortunately, she was subjecting herself to another stint. Senior year. Sarah was already off meeting her friends, leaving Caroline and Lexi to their first day alone.

"For the record, this is stupid."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "If it's so stupid, why are you doing it with me?"

Lexi snorted. "To make sure it doesn't blow up in your face, _duh_." With a half-grin, she threw an arm around Caroline's shoulders. "Besides, Lee's on some all-boys road trip and I needed something to do."

"Uh-huh. Did you even bring any books?"

" _Please_ , I knew you'd come prepared. I was just going to cheat off you all semester." Lexi winked at her and then bumped her hip with her own.

Despite herself, a smile broke across Caroline's lips. "Whatever. If we do this right, we can figure it all out in a week, _tops_. Maybe even a few days if she's particularly friendly."

"Her parents died like, four months ago, and from what we've seen through your _stalking_ , she still seems pretty depressed."

Biting her lip, Caroline nodded. "I was kind of hoping she'd mostly be over that by now."

" _Caroline!_ " Lexi laughed. "You don't just get over your parents _deaths_ , especially if you were in the car when it happened and you were the only survivor."

" _She's welcome_." Rolling her eyes, Caroline paused on the sidewalk as she peered up at the large and looming high school. "I'm just saying… I put off this whole 'interrogate the orphan' thing so she could grieve, because I'm a nice person, but my experience with orphans with Katherine's face isn't great, so I'd really like to get this over with already."

Dropping her arm from Caroline's shoulders, Lexi held her elbow out for her friend to take. "Well, come on then, let's get it over with."

Taking a deep breath, Caroline lifted her chin, linked her arm with Lexi's, and walked confidently toward the school. She could already hear the whispers and the curiosity feeding through the crowds of people standing in the front field. But she blocked it out. None of them mattered. The only person she needed to know was Elena Gilbert.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Looking around the hall as she and Elena made their way toward her locker, Bonnie declared disappointedly, "Major lack of male real estate." Her brow furrowed with distaste. "Look at the shower curtain on Kelly Beach. She looks a hot mess."

Elena snorted.

Bonnie pulled her locker open and then turned, looking past Elena's shoulder, her mouth dipped down in a frown.

Seeing her expression, Elena turned to see Matt standing across the hall, dressed in his letterman jacket, ear buds plugged in. Not far down from him was Stefan. Though Matt's gaze was centered on Elena, Stefan kept his face forward, focused on the inside of his locker.

Elena raised a hand to wave at Matt, her mouth upturned in a faint, friendly smile. He stared at her blankly, and then turned to grab his book and slam his locker shut.

Bonnie finished trading out her books in her locker and taking what she needed to put in her bag.

"He hates me…" Elena crossed her arms and leaned back against the bank of lockers. "They both do."

Wincing, Bonnie lifted an apologetic shoulder. "I don't want to say 'I told you so,' but you had to know that dating them at the same time was a bad idea."

"We said we weren't exclusive," she defended.

"Okay, Ross Gellar." Bonnie rolled her eyes teasingly. "But… _seriously_ … I mean, Matt and Stefan have been best friends even longer than we have… There were bound to be some hurt feelings."

"I know. I just… I didn't think I'd lose both of them."

"Well, that's what happens when you don't pick one."

"I meant to… I was _going_ to. But then… everything with my parents, I just… I couldn't lose them too." She winced, staring at Bonnie searchingly. "I'm a terrible person, aren't I?"

"The _worst_ ," she agreed, but then reached out to hug her, squeezing her gently. "You were hurting, and I know you just wanted something good in your life. Something you could rely on. They love you, 'Lena."

"I love them too." She sighed, rubbing a hand over her face. "I just… I never wanted it to be like this."

"Give them time." Bonnie shrugged. "And maybe decide which one you actually want to be with."

Elena nodded, and turned her head to look back at where Stefan was finishing up gathering his books. He didn't look in her direction, simply closing his locker and walking away. She wondered if maybe that said more than enough.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Caroline listened with half an ear as the secretary informed her and Lexi that their records were incomplete as she fingered through two files of papers. "You're missing immunization records, and we do insist on transcripts. You said you moved here recently? I'm surprised your parents didn't come in earlier to clear everything up. At this point, it may be difficult to place you in the classes that you need. We prefer to have more warning before new students join us."

"It was all very sudden," Lexi said, smirking. "And hopefully temporary."

"Ignore my sister, please, she's just bitter about the move." Caroline pushed her sunglasses up on top of her head and leaned forward. "Can you check again?" She caught the secretary's gaze. "Everything you need is there."

The woman stared back at Caroline in a daze, her pupils dilating. A few seconds passed before she lowered her eyes to the paperwork. "Well, you're right. So it is."

 _"I'm sensing New York, and their mom's a model_ ," Caroline heard behind her.

Someone else, someone she recognized, scoffed in reply. " _You're really going to run this whole psychic thing into the ground, huh_?"

" _Pretty much_."

Lexi's brow ticked up with curiosity before she turned, resting her back against the counter, and peered at the on-lookers. "Looks like we won't have to do much searching for your pet project," she murmured, before wiggling her fingers at the two girls.

Caroline turned to see them, Elena and another girl; beautiful, with long brown hair and perpetually upturned lips. They were staring back at her and Lexi, a little uncomfortable having been caught, but then a distant voice was saying, "Jeremy, good batch, man," and Elena's attention was drawn elsewhere.

"I'll be right back," Elena said, before she walked off, intent on engaging her brother.

Caroline peered at the other girl, who was shifting her feet awkwardly, and then offered a half-smile, before she turned back around to the secretary. "Don't scare her," she told Lexi.

Turning to her, Lexi raised an eyebrow. "Usually our visits are more fun. If we're going to be stalking poor, unsuspecting high school kids, I need to get my kicks somewhere."

"And making them nervous accomplishes _what_ , exactly?"

Lexi shrugged. "Dominance. I never got the high school experience, but I like to think I would have been a queen bee."

Caroline laughed, shaking her head, and then took her and Lexi's class schedules from the secretary and thanked her. "Come on." She handed Lexi her papers. "We have work to do."

Walking forward, Lexi at her heels, Caroline glanced at the curious girl still lingering by the door, watching them. There was something about her, something oddly familiar that Caroline just couldn't put her finger on. But, she didn't have time for a _second_ mystery. So instead, she said, "Hey," and continued on her way. Hearing the distant, somewhat surprised, "Hey," the girl returned.

Making her way down the hall, Lexi beside her, she listened for the familiar voice of Elena Gilbert, who had already exited the boy's washroom, where she'd followed her brother, and was making her way down the hall.

"Joint attack or you want to go solo?" Lexi wondered.

"Maybe solo would be less aggressive…" Caroline nodded. "She might feel overwhelmed with both of us."

"All right." She checked her schedule and said, "I'm going to find our first class. See you there?"

Caroline nodded distractedly as Lexi walked off ahead of her. Brow furrowed, Caroline considered how she might approach her. Ask for directions to her class or locker maybe. It was simple and a good opener for probing questions. She nodded to herself and hurried her steps just a little. If she could catch her before she went around the corner…

Unbeknownst to her, curious green eyes followed her down the hall, as Stefan Forbes watched the new girl with unexpected interest.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Stefan could count on one hand how many girls he'd been interested in over his seventeen years of life.

The first was Bonnie. He was eight years old and she had the prettiest green eyes he'd ever seen. Truth be told, she still did. But there's was a short-lived romance that consisted of sticky, popsickle stained hand-holding, dates on the jungle gym at recess, and a handful of kisses on the cheek. They lasted two weeks; he still considered it his most successful relationship. They ended up being better friends than anything else; aside from Matt, she was the closest friend he had.

After Bonnie, he shelved any romantic interests for a while. Then there was a three-month span where he thought marrying Vicki Donovan was definitely an option. She was wild and beautiful and her smile was full of reckless abandon. Of course, it also meant he and Matt would be actual brothers, so that was a definite upside. He kissed her exactly one time, when he was thirteen and she was sixteen (looking back on it, they were doomed from the start). Matt socked him in the mouth 3.5 seconds after, and Vicki laughed. She patted his shoulder later and told him he had some growing up to do still. It wasn't long before Stefan decided maybe he should date (and marry) someone a little less dangerous. She was a quick burning fire that promised to burn him, but Stefan was a quick learner. He stopped reaching for a flame that didn't want to be tamed.

By the time he was fifteen, his romantic world narrowed entirely. Elena Gilbert. He'd known her since kindergarten, even been acquaintances over the years, but he'd never seen her as much more than Bonnie's best friend. And then things changed. They all changed. They were at a party, half-buzzed, and from across the room, he heard her laugh, and his world felt like it tipped on its axis. Unfortunately, so did Matt's, and what came after that was two long years of unnecessary heartache. She loved him, she loved both of them, and she didn't want to pick one or the other. Some part of him understood that, or wanted to. It wanted to accept that there was enough of her to love both of them. He never considered himself a jealous person, but he soon learned sides of himself he'd never known were there before. Sides that he didn't like so much. Sides that were willing to sacrifice a friendship he'd held above all else since pre-school. But that was over now. All of it was.

After everything that happened with Elena, and his friendship with Matt crumbling, Stefan spent the summer moving on, and decided that his senior year would be romance free. He wanted to focus on his friends and himself and get back to who he was, whoever that turned out to be.

And then a girl walked by, long blonde hair trailing down her back, sunglasses perched atop her head. She reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear, a blue and silver ring glinting under the cheap, fluorescent hallway light, and he found himself following her with his eyes, head craning to keep her in sight as she moved. Pale skin and rosy cheeks, she walked smoothly through the halls, an unfamiliar face in an all too familiar landscape. He wanted to know her. He _needed_ to.

Later, he would realize that was just the beginning. A split second of a moment that would turn everything upside down, and he wasn't so sure he wanted it right side up again.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Caroline wasn't a fan of history. Maybe because she'd spent most of her life there for it, or maybe because it had always, and would always, bore her to tears. It didn't help that the teacher, Mister Tanner, had one of _those_ voices, the droning quality that told her she would much rather be having a nap than listening to him talk about anything. Lexi seemed to agree, as she was currently doodling in one of the notebooks Caroline had gifted her with at the beginning of class. Catching up with Elena had been a no-go when the bell rang and the halls were quickly filled to capacity; she'd been forced to abandon her plan until later.

" _Once our home state of Virginia joined Confederacy in 1861, it created a tremendous amount of tension within the state. The people in the Northwest region had different ideals than those from the traditional Deep South. Then Virginia divided in 1863 with the Northwest Region joining the Union_ …"

Caroline tapped her pen against her notebook absently, her brow furrowed as she considered the problem in front of her. She wasn't known for her ability to be patient; the fact that she lasted four months already was a _miracle_ , and she wanted to deal with this whole Elena/Katherine issue as quickly as possible.

Feeling the weight of someone's stare on her back, her head turned, searching it out, and she soon found a boy across the aisle from her. Green eyes, carefully coiffed brown hair, and a faint smile pulling at his mouth. He was… _handsome_. In that classic way she rarely saw anymore. Or maybe she was projecting. Either way, he was cute. And staring at her. She blinked, and turned her gaze away, forward to the teacher. But a few seconds passed and she found her eyes slowly wandering back toward him. His smile widened when he caught her eye again. Caroline didn't know she could still blush, but she felt her cheeks flame, and cursed herself for giving in to curiosity.

He might be cute, but he wasn't who she needed to be focusing on.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

As break came around, Caroline found herself digging through her new locker, trading in one book for another.

"Okay, I don't want to point out the flaws in this plan, but how long are we supposed to be here?" Lexi wondered, leaning against the locker beside hers. "Seriously. I know I said I missed out on the high school experience, but now I'm kind of relieved I did. This place is _boring_ and it's the first day, but we've already been assigned _homework!_ " Her brows hiked at the indignity.

Caroline snorted. "So compel them to give you an A." She shrugged. "I just need the right opening."

"Care, honey, she's _human_. Walk up to her, ask her what's up, and compel her to be honest."

Lips pursed, she shook her head. "If something really is up, that could backfire massively. Just… Let me do this my way, okay? I just need to be delicate."

"Well, what's the plan then?" Crossing her arms, Lexi raised an eyebrow. "Because I'm ready to skip the rest of the day and head back to the boarding house. Uncle Zach said he was making lasagna for dinner, and you know I can't say no to lasagna."

"Okay, a) still creepy you call him that, and b) we have plans tonight. We're going to the Grill. Everyone hangs out there. I'll talk to Elena then."

"I'm still not seeing any reason I can't go home and nap for the rest of the day." She jutted her lip out in a pout. "Come on… We could pick up lunch, even scope out this Grill place if you want, and then lay around in bed, watch movies, _plot_ , you know, _girl_ things."

Caroline laughed, biting her lip. "It's the first _day_ …"

"Of a senior year we don't plan on finishing." Lexi rolled her eyes. "You don't even plan on seeing Elena until tonight, so what's keeping you here now?"

"Nothing. I just…" she trailed off, her attention briefly drawn by the boy passing by. He was smiling at her again, but he ducked his eyes and continued walking, and this time it was her who followed after him with her eyes.

"Who's he?" Lexi wondered.

"What? _Nobody_. I—I don't know him. He's just… He's in our history class."

Unconvinced, she raised an eyebrow. "Mm-hmm…"

"Whatever. That's not important." Caroline looked back at Lexi. "I'm finishing out the day. If you want to go, I won't stop you. Just… stop flirting with my nephew. It's creepy."

She smirked. "I can't help it. I flirt when I'm bored. And Zach's cute."

"Ew, Lexi. He has a _wife._ And no! Just, no! _Lee_ is cute. You know, your _boyfriend_."

"Oh, flirting never hurt anybody. Gail knows I'm just teasing. Besides, he's half-terrified of me. The flirting puts him at ease. He thinks if I like him I'm less likely to tear his jugular out with my teeth."

"Right, so, no flirting and no jugular tearing."

"One out of two isn't bad." Lexi winked before she sauntered off. "I'll see you later. Have a good day at school!" She waved over her shoulder.

Caroline huffed, but turned back to her locker to finish getting what she needed.

"Cutting out this early? I guess I can't blame her with Tanner first period…"

Startled, Caroline turned, blinking as she found Elena's friend standing not far from her. With a grin, she waved a friendly hand. "I'm Bonnie. Bonnie Bennett."

"Caroline Salvatore," she replied, waving back.

"I know. We have first period together." She nodded, casting her eyes away briefly. "So that was your sister?"

"Hm? Oh. Yeah, uh, Lexi."

"You're… twins?"

"Fraternal."

"Oh, cool." Her nose scrunched up cutely. "The only other twins in Mystic Falls are Matthew and Ren, and they're _total_ Yetis."

Caroline blinked.

"Hairy," Bonnie clarified. "Trust me, you'll know who I'm talking about when you see them."

"Uh, okay." She smiled faintly. "So, you grew up here then?"

"Mm-hmm. Born and raised." She shrugged. "Where'd you grow up?"

"Oh, well, I actually lived in Mystic Falls a long time ago. My family owns the Salvatore Boarding House. I have a cousin that goes here. Sarah Salvatore? She's a sophomore. Anyway, my parents moved around a lot; my dad was military. Now we're back here, living with our uncle and his family."

"Oh. So your parents…?"

"They died. But, it's okay… Feels like it was forever ago."

"I'm sorry." Bonnie frowned. "Really. That must've been hard."

"It's okay. We're… coping." She shook her head, readjusting the strap of her book bag. "Anyway… Enough depressing stuff. What is it you do around here for fun?"

Bonnie grinned, rolling her eyes. "Not a whole lot. Small town, so… We hang out at The Grill, party down by the falls sometimes, and there's a lot of town events we usually get roped into. But, other than that, town's pretty boring."

Caroline nodded. "The Grill?"

"Yeah, Mystic Grill, it's really the only hang out. You should come by tonight, I can introduce you to people, if you want."

"That'd be great." She grinned. "Thanks."

"Sure." Bonnie glanced down then, at the paper in Caroline's hand. "Hey, what's your next class, maybe I can help you find it."

"You're a lifesaver." She handed the paper over and Bonnie smiled.

Caroline closed her locker before joining Bonnie in walking down the hall. This was good. If she could get a foot in the door with Bonnie, it was one step closer to Elena.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

After a long day of school, most of which was less than interesting, Caroline was happy to be back home. Sarah had caught a ride with a friend, so she was left to her own devices. As she walked into her bedroom, she wasn't all that surprised to see Lexi sprawled on her bed.

"Did you change?" Caroline wondered, dragging her book bag off her shoulder and putting it on the floor by her desk.

"What, this is our big introduction to Mystic Falls' _cool club_ , right? I need to look my best."

"How cool is _anybody_ in high school, really?" Shaking her head, Caroline took a seat in her desk chair. "Anyway, this is our first meet n' greet. Bonnie's introducing us to her friends. Specifically, Elena."

Humming, Lexi flipped the page in her magazine. "Yeah, what about Cute Guy?"

Caroline frowned, her brow furrowed. "Who?"

"Don't play dumb. I saw the staring and the smiling…" She smirked. "You like him."

"I don't _know_ him." She shook her head and started gathering her hair up to style it. "He's just some random boy who happens to go to our school. He might not even be there."

"Uh-huh, but if he is… you should talk to him."

She scoffed. "Lexi, he's seventeen."

"So are you."

"Yes, _forever_." She rolled her eyes. "We're not here for boys. We're here—"

"To solve the Elena/Katherine thing. _I know,_ " she groaned. "But come on… How long has it been since you've shown any interest in someone?"

"I show interest," she said defensively.

"When?"

"I… There was Penelope, back in 1930. You liked her! She was hot and funny and… And there was Elijah. We were on and off for decades!" she reminded, pointing a brush in Lexi's direction.

"Please, you just hooked up whenever you happened to be in the same place. I wouldn't call it the romance of the century. Anyway, I'm still not convinced that wasn't some weird, lonely hearts who can commiserate over Katherine Pierce fan club thing."

"Okay, _rude_. Elijah was a good guy. We just… had different life goals."

"Yes, his was being incredibly secretive while he did odd jobs for his weird brother and yours was trying to keep _your_ brother from self-imploding. When you think about it, pretty similar goals, just different brothers."

"Which is good, otherwise what we did would be called _incest_."

Lexi snorted. "Whatever. All I'm saying is you need to get laid, and maybe fall in love. Those don't need to be mutual and they don't need to be the same boy, or girl for that matter, but it's been _ages_."

"I'm a vampire," she reminded with a shrug. "I have an eternity for all of that."

"Not if you spend it all either cleaning up Damon's messes or trying to get ahead of him before he makes them."

Tossing her brush away, Caroline shifted in her chair to see her better. "This isn't just about Damon. It's about me, too. I need to know why she looks like her."

" _Because_ …?" she prompted.

"Because it wasn't just Damon's life she upheaved. And what happened to her, how she came into our lives, the disaster she left in her wake, I… I have questions. Questions she can't answer. But maybe… I don't know. Maybe Elena can."

"How?" Lexi discarded her magazine and sat up. "Care, she's a _normal_ , human girl."

"So we _think_." Caroline frowned. "I just need to know for sure."

"And if she is? If she's some boring human who doesn't know anything about Katherine… What then?"

"Then… we leave. And we makes sure Damon never finds her."

"What do you think would happen if he did?" Lexi wondered seriously. "He loved Katherine. You really think he'd hurt someone that looked just like her."

"Maybe. Maybe not." She shook her head. "All I know is _that_ face has haunted him all his life… It's time he laid that ghost to rest."

Lexi hummed. "Maybe he's not the only one who should."

Caroline glared at her best friend. "Thank you, Dr. Phil. But I'm perfectly healthy."

"Is any vampire _really_ healthy?" she teased.

With a snort, Caroline stood from her seat and walked to her closet. Maybe a change of outfit was what she needed. Tonight was the night she finally made some headway in the mystery that was Elena Gilbert. The least she could do was look good for the occasion.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

In the rankings of best friends, Bonnie Bennett was high on Stefan's list, especially since he and Matt were barely talking. Which was why he felt comfortable asking her what he was…

"What's this about anyway?" Bonnie eyed him suspiciously.

"I can't be curious?" Stefan shrugged, walking beside her as they made their way through the Mystic Grill. "I saw you two talking, I thought maybe you could tell me who she was."

"You're in our history class. You heard her name called."

"Okay, but, that's all I heard." He stared at her searchingly. "She seemed… nice."

"She seemed _hot_ ," Bonnie said knowingly. He sighed, and she rolled her eyes, taking pity on him. "Caroline's a military kid. Her and her sister Lexi moved here to live with their aunt, uncle, and cousin up at the Salvatore Boarding house. Apparently she lived here when she was younger, but… I don't remember her. Anyway, her parents died, so that's why she's back in the _illustrious_ Mystic Falls. She said it was a while ago though, so I don't know if she's just been living with other family or what." She shrugged. "And that's all I know."

He nodded, lips pursed and brow furrowed.

"Well, that and she's going to be here tonight." She smirked. "I'm introducing her and her sister to everyone, so… I guess you can ask her yourself."

"Ask her what?"

"Whatever it is you want to know." Bonnie raised an eyebrow. "But, just some friendly advice… Be sure, okay? This thing, with you and Elena and Matt—"

"Elena made her choice."

"No, she didn't." She frowned. "She didn't pick anyone."

"Yeah, and that was a choice in itself." He shrugged. "I'm over it. I'm over Elena. She wanted the summer, we gave it to her. I'm not going to chase her. If she can't pick between us, then she shouldn't. Look, I—I'll always care about Elena, but… Matt's my best friend. This never should have happened."

"So that's it then?" She looked skeptical. "You're just _over_ it?"

"I…" He paused, trailing off, and his gaze focused on the front door as two blonde girls stepped inside.

Unbuckling her jacket, Caroline shrugged it off, hanging it over her arm, and showing off a bright red tank top underneath. The glint of a gold locket glittered under the shine of a lamp light, and she turned, smiling at something her sister said, nodding as she laughed. Stefan's heart stuttered.

"Yeah. I… I'm over it," he murmured, and then he blinked, and stepped past Bonnie.

Bonnie watched him go, making his way toward Matt. Shaking her head, she turned on her heel and made her way over to Caroline and Lexi. She grinned as they turned toward her. "Hey, you made it."

"We did." Caroline nodded, casting his eyes around. "It's a nice place."

She shrugged. "It works." Turning to Lexi, she smiled. "We haven't really met. I'm Bonnie."

"Lexi," she returned. "Nice to meet you."

"You too." Bonnie looked between them. "Elena's not here yet, but I thought I'd introduce you to the others." She started backing up, smiling encouragingly.

Caroline glanced at Lexi and then nodded. "Sure. Lead the way."

They followed Bonnie up the stairs to where the dining area took up the right half and the pool tables took up the left.

At a table sat Matt, Tyler, and Stefan, each nursing a Coke. Bonnie stopped behind the fourth, remaining chair and leaned on it, her hands loosely gripping the back. "Guys, meet Caroline and Lexi Salvatore. They just moved back. They've been traveling for a while." Bonnie pointed back to them with her thumb. Turning to the girls, she said, "This is Matt Donovan, Tyler Lockwood, and Stefan Forbes."

Matt half-smiled, and raised a friendly hand. "Hey."

Tyler nodded at them, smirking as he leaned back in his chair, and gave them each a quick look-over.

But Stefan… Stefan only had eyes for Caroline, and Bonnie still wasn't sure what to make of it. He lifted his fingers from the rim of his glass to wave them. "Hi."

Lexi nodded her chin. "Hey." She looked past them toward the pool table. "Any of you know how to play?"

"Sure," Matt said, beginning to stand.

Tyler clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Why don't we make it interesting? You two against us?"

"Caroline's not a fan," Lexi said. "But… Bonnie? You want to play?"

"Oh. Uh, sure," she said, brows hiked a little as she nodded. She stepped back from the chair and moved to follow them, while Caroline lingered behind, her gaze on the front door before it eventually wandered toward Stefan. "You'll be okay here, or…?"

"Fine," Caroline assured. "Have fun." When she looked past to see the boys were out of hearing range, she grinned at Bonnie. "Lexi's a bit of a shark. You should play for money."

Bonnie laughed. "Sounds like a plan."

Walking off to join Lexi, she paused, looking back, and watched as Caroline slowly pulled the chair out from the table and took a seat beside Stefan, who held a hand out for her to shake. Flushed and smiling, she reached back, and Bonnie wondered if maybe this whole Matt/Elena/Stefan triangle really was coming to an end. She just hoped nobody got hurt.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Caroline wasn't the type of person who got awkward often. She'd been through too much in her life already. But there was a strange tension threading through her as she sat at the table with only the cute boy from her history class. She shifted in her seat, twisting the ring on her finger, and cast her eyes toward the front door of the Mystic Grill. If she could just focus on the task at hand, maybe things would get easier. It would probably help if she couldn't smell his cologne, which was a nice mix of wood and spice. It felt like every inhale was wrapped in his scent and it was _ridiculously_ distracting. And not even a ' _hungry_ ' way. She'd made sure she ate before they left the boarding house. So her sudden focus on Stefan was all _him_.

Clearing his throat, Stefan shifted forward in his seat, elbows resting on the table. "So… How are you liking Mystic Falls so far?"

She half-smiled at him. "Well, so far I've seen my house, the high school, and this place… I guess I'll reserve comment until I see a little more."

He laughed, ducking his head. "Honestly… There's probably not a lot more to see."

"So I've heard." She shook her head. "I lived here, when I was a lot younger, but… I don't know. It's changed a lot from what I remember."

He nodded. "Bonnie said you'd been traveling… Where else have you been?"

"Oh, uh, _everywhere_ … It feels like I've visited every major city twice over. I was in New York before this. It's busy, but I like it."

His brows hiked. "Big change from there."

"Yeah, definitely, but… not a bad change. Just different." She shrugged. There were days she missed her apartment and the view it offered her, and then other days when she was content where she was. "Sometimes it's nice to get away from the noise and pollution and _traffic_."

"So you think you'll be here long then, or…?"

"I don't know." She fiddled with her fingers. "I mean, last year of high school and then off to college, right?"

"Yeah. A lot of people around here end up going to Whitmore. It's about an hour's drive from here. Good school. Bonnie's grandma is a professor there."

"Really? Of what?"

"Occult studies." He grinned at her raised brows. "Yeah, I know. It's kind of cool though. Sheila's kind of a big name in that area."

Curious, she leaned forward. "That 'area'…? Are you a big fan of the occult?"

"I wouldn't say _fan_ , exactly. My, uh, my family was maybe a little more curious about it in the past. My mom's a skeptic, but I've always wondered." He reached up, scratching a hand behind his ear awkwardly. "That's weird, isn't it?"

"No, not weird." She shook her head. "Your family… Bonnie said your last name was Forbes. They were a founding family of Mystic Falls."

"Yeah." He nodded. "Yeah, my great, great, _great_ grandfather or something was the Sheriff here back when it was founded. My mom is Sheriff now. I guess she's a Forbes by marriage more than blood, but it's still kind of history repeating itself."

Her eyes widened a little. "Wow."

"I probably don't have to tell you. I mean, your family is a Founding Family too, right?"

"Yeah, uh… Giuseppe Salvatore. He had a plantation house around here. I think it's abandoned now, probably in shambles." Her gaze wandered away briefly. "I was named for his daughter, actually. So was my brother."

"You have a brother?"

"I do. Damon. He, uh… He's a little older, so he's not here with us." She tipped her head, wondering, "What about you? Any siblings?"

"A little sister, actually." He grinned. "Edith, but she likes to be called Eddy."

"Eddy. That's cute." She smiled. "How much younger?"

"She's ten." He nodded. "She wanted to come out tonight, but my mom has a rule that she can't come here at night until she's at least thirteen."

"Oh." Her brow furrowed. "Where is she now then?"

"At the station, probably. My mom's a bit of a workaholic."

"And your dad?"

"He… left." His lips folded uncomfortably. "About a year ago. He, uh, he and my mom got divorced and he moved out of town… With his _boyfriend_." At Caroline's surprised look, he nodded. "Yeah, I know. Complicated."

"Just a little…" It was an unconscious move, but she reached over, dropping a hand over his. "I'm sorry. That must've been really hard."

"Yeah, well…" His gaze fell, staring at her hand, a faint upturn to his lips.

Caroline's eyes followed his and, for a moment, all she could do was stare. She hadn't meant to touch him; she hadn't even thought about it. It just happened. His skin was warm and soft. Panic suddenly struck her chest and she released his hand immediately, drawing her own back into her lap.

" _Come on!_ " Tyler exclaimed loudly.

Turning, Caroline looked to the pool tables, where a grinning Bonnie and Lexi were high-fiving.

"She looks like she's having fun," Stefan commented.

"Yeah. Lexi finds fun wherever she goes. She's great like that."

"You too are close."

"Best friends." She blinked, and then looked over at him. "Twins. It's kind of a given."

He nodded. "I get it. Eddy and I aren't twins, but we're close… I don't know how I would've handled it if I didn't have her to look out for after everything with our parents."

"Yeah. I get it. I mean, after my mom died, all I had was my brother. Uh, and Lexi. But Damon… It was like he thought he had to be strong for both of us. _All_ of us. So… He just kind of shouldered it all. Never cried or broke down. He just… He was there to hold me up when my whole world felt like it was falling apart." Her brow knit. "I don't know what life would have been like if he wasn't there to watch out for me."

"Is he still in New York?" Stefan wondered.

"I don't know." She smiled vaguely. "He's a wanderer. After our dad died, he just kind of… went rogue. He's kind of like Lexi, except he doesn't look for fun, he _makes_ fun. Where there's Damon, there's a party." She sighed, shaking her head. "Which wouldn't be bad, I mean, I love a good party as much as anyone else, but Damon's parties _always_ get out of control, and… He's not great at cleaning them up." She laughed, shrugging. "Maybe he used up all his responsibility taking care of me."

"Well, speaking of parties. There's one down at the falls tomorrow." He leaned in, drumming his thumb atop the table. "It's a back to school kind of thing. Free alcohol, bonfire, plenty of drunk people embarrassing themselves…"

"Fire and alcohol. And the Sheriff lets you go?" she joked.

He smiled. "I like to think she trusts me."

"Ah. One of those responsible Sheriff's kids." She nodded. "I guess you're who my uncle would want me to associate with then, huh?"

"I'm _great_ with uncles," he agreed, mouth twitching with amusement.

She laughed, biting her lip. "I'll keep it in mind. As for the falls, I might need you to give me directions. It's been a while since I was out there."

"I can pick you up," he offered. She heard his heart skip a beat. "If you want."

She shouldn't. She knew she shouldn't. Warning signs were blinking in her head that this was a bad idea. That he wasn't part of the plan, and she _always_ stuck to the plan. But… "Um, su—"

" _Elena!_ " Bonnie called out, waving her over.

Caroline's attention diverted toward the front of the Grill to find a half-smiling Elena Gilbert making her way toward her best friend, who left the pool table and walked toward where Caroline and Stefan were sitting, Lexi just behind her.

"Was starting to think we'd have to send a search party out for you," Bonnie joked.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Sorry. You remember I had that wipe out at the cemetery? I can't find my journal anywhere, it's weird. I must've dropped it."

"We can stop by there tomorrow, before school," Bonnie offered.

"Yeah, thanks." Her gaze darted past her to Lexi, and then toward the table, where Caroline was sitting a little straighter.

"Oh, right! Uh, Elena, this is Lexi and Caroline Salvatore. Lexi is an expert pool shark, as Tyler and Matt have recently found out." Bonnie grinned encouragingly. "They just moved back."

Elena nodded, raising a hand in hello.

"Anyway, they were looking for a good place to hang out and I said I'd introduce them to everyone, so…" Bonnie smiled between everyone.

"Hey, how about that rematch?" Tyler called, fiddling with his pool cue.

Bonnie looked back at him, and nodded. "You want to join us? To be honest, I'm probably bringing down Lexi's game."

"Not at all," Lexi said, shaking her head. "You're doing great."

"It's fine," Elena said, resting a hand on the back of a chair. "I was going to get something to eat anyway. I'll meet you over there."

"Okay, if you're sure." Bonnie started stepping back, glancing briefly toward Caroline and Stefan.

Elena shook her head slightly and then shrugged off her jacket. While Bonnie and Lexi started back for the pool table, Elena dropped her jacket on the back of her chair and took a seat. Looking to Caroline, she said, "So you used to live here?"

"Yeah, a long time ago." She nodded. "We, uh, we have history together, right?"

"Yeah." Elena turned her gaze forward, staring at Stefan. "All of us do."

Caroline looked between them, a blanket of tension suddenly falling over them. It didn't feel like before, that strange sense of anticipation when it was just her and Stefan. Now it was something else, something she wanted no part of, and those warning bells of just a few minutes ago reminded her why there was a plan, and why she should stick to it.

" _Stefan_ ," Elena said, a heavy sort of emphasis on his name. "It's been a while."

"All summer," he replied, his smile vague and forced.

"I was hoping we could talk..."

His brow furrowed as he glanced away and then back to her. "Sure. We, uh, we should."

Caroline felt a swoop in her stomach that was anything but pleasant. "I'll leave you two to… _that_." Standing from the table, she grabbed her jacket off the back of her chair.

"Uh, Caroline…" Stefan stood, looking anxious. "About tomorrow—"

"I think I can find my way." She smiled between them, calm and unaffected. "It was nice meeting you. Have a nice night." She walked off then, making her way toward Lexi. Bonnie was busy taking her turn, and Lexi reached for Caroline as she paused beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist and drawing her in.

"Sorry," she said quietly

"About what?" Feigning a smile, Caroline shook her head. "I'm not here for him. My plan was to figure out Elena, and I will. Just, not tonight."

Lexi smiled sympathetically, and leaned her head over, resting it against Caroline's. "Still."

Wrapping her arm around Lexi, she squeezed her hip. "It's whatever."

"He's not even that cute."

Caroline snorted. "Liar."

"Fine. But I've seen cuter."

"Okay, Lee doesn't count. You're completely biased!"

Lexi scoffed. "Am not. I know he has faults."

Unconvinced, Caroline raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? Name one."

"He never hangs his wet towel up. He has _terrible_ morning breath. And one time, he ate the last slice of pizza. He didn't even _offer_ it to me."

Giggling, Caroline shook her head. " _Stop!_ You're terrible. You and Lee are that awful couple that's going to be cute and perfect for _ever_."

Grinning, Lexi shrugged. "As Fate goes, that's not the _worst_."

"No," she agreed, "it really isn't."

"Hah!" Bonnie cried triumphantly. "Pay up, boys, we win again!"

Caroline looked over to where Tyler and Matt were ponying up the cash, before her gaze eventually wandered back toward the table. Elena and Stefan were leaning into each other, her hand on top of his, their expressions heavy and focused. Though she could have listened in, she chose not to. It wasn't her business, and, in the end, it didn't matter. Whatever Stefan was or wasn't to Elena, it was unnecessary to what Caroline was doing. And so was he.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"She seems nice."

Stefan's brows arched briefly. "She is. But I don't think that's what you want to talk about."

Elena shifted in her seat. "This summer… When I asked for space, I thought it would help, that I would get some perspective or… I don't know. That there would be some huge epiphany, I guess."

"And?"

"And… I don't know. I just know that I miss you. _Both_ of you." She reached over the table, laying her hand atop his. That feeling he used to get every time they touched, that spark of heat, was _gone_ , and rather than being disappointed he found himself relieved. "What we had before, that wasn't bad, was it?"

"You mean when you were dating both of us?"

Elena frowned, her shoulders slumping. "You make it sound like it's some horrible scandal, but, it _wasn't_. I loved you. I loved _both_ of you."

He hummed, nodding. "And we loved you."

"So? Why can't we go back to that? Why—Why can't it be like it was?"

"Because. I wasn't happy. I had you, yes, but only part of you. And I didn't have my best friend anymore. Matt and I… We couldn't be friends, not really. I can't… I don't want to share, Elena. And neither does Matt. It's just… It's not who we are. And it's fine that you are. It's fine that that's what you want. But I don't want to hate my best friend, and I don't want to resent you for something you were honest about from the beginning. It's just… _this_ … _us_ … it doesn't work."

"So it all comes back to me making a choice…?" Elena deflated. "You or him? And if I did, you could still be friends?"

"No." He stared at her squarely. "There's no choice. If you want to be with Matt, then be with him. But… I'm not part of this anymore. I'm done."

She swallowed tightly, her gaze falling. "Just like that?"

"I had the summer to think, and that's all I did." He covered her hand gently. "I'll always love you. I've known you since first grade. You were my first love. But…"

"But not your last." Elena nodded, blinking back tears. "I guess I can't blame you. I ruined your friendship, I hurt you…"

"It wasn't just you. Matt and I did this too. We let this come between us. We let it dictate our friendship, and that wasn't fair." He shrugged. "In the end, I'd rather have my best friend."

" _Ouch_ ," she whispered.

He half-smiled at her gently. "This is what you wanted, right? Now you don't have to hurt one of us."

"Just myself."

"You'll survive." He patted her hand. "You're tough."

She laughed, quick and short. "Doesn't feel like it."

"I know you. What you've been through. What you've survived so far… What's a little heartache?"

"Currently?" She reached up to dash a tear from her cheek. "Feels pretty huge."

His thumb rubbed her knuckles. "We're still friends. Always."

"Yeah." She nodded, swallowing tightly.

As he began to untangle his hands from hers, she gripped him tighter. "If I'd picked you, just now, if I said it was _you_ … Would you have picked me too?"

He stared down at her, his expression sad. "No."

She gazed back at him a moment longer, and then she let him go.

Leaning down, Stefan pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Be happy, okay?"

Unable to reply, she simply nodded, and Stefan gathered up his jacket from the back of his chair. He looked over to the pool tables, where Lexi and Caroline were wedged together, laughing at Bonnie as she fanned herself with the money she'd won off Tyler and Matt. His gaze lingered on Caroline for a few seconds longer, the smile she wore, the way the light caught her hair and made it seem especially shiny, and then he turned on his heel and walked toward the door.

Digging his phone out of his jeans, he thumbed through his contacts before holding his phone up to his ear.

"Psychic Hotline, you're on with Eddy, what's your question caller?"

Grinning, he rolled his eyes. "Real funny, Ed. Are you at the station?"

She scoffed. "Where else would I be? Mom's on a call, so I'm in her office. I've got a stack of papers and a 'Solved' stamp in front of me."

"I'm done over here. I was thinking we'd get pizza, watch a movie… That is, if you've done your homework."

"Homework? What homework? You had me at pizza."

He chuckled under his breath. "Get ready. I'll be there in five."

"Roger that!" she cried, before hanging up.

Stefan snorted to himself, and put his phone away in his pocket before he made his way outside. As far as relationships went, things were complicated, but a pizza date with his favorite girl was just what he needed.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Well, her day hadn't gone quite as well as she hoped, but Caroline comforted herself with the fact that progress was made. Small as it was. Bonnie offered the perfect in for meeting Elena, and while they'd only spoken briefly, it gave Caroline the opportunity to reach out to her again, and soon.

Tying her damp hair up on top of her head, Caroline made her way downstairs, dressed in her favorite pajamas. Lexi was already tucked into a guest room, reading a book before bed. Slippers shuffling on the wood floor, Caroline ducked into the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. She heard Zach's increased heartbeat long before he cleared his throat.

Pivoting toward him, she raised her eyebrows. Turning the glass over, she emptied it and rinsed it out before adding it to the dishwasher. "Hey," she greeted.

"Hey." He frowned grimly. "Have you seen this?" He held the paper up for her to see.

Brow furrowed, she walked forward and peered at the headline— _Bodies Found Mutilated By Animal._ "An animal attack?"

He shook his head, sighing. "You and I both know that's not what it was. If they're torn up enough, the police always suspect an animal."

Eyes narrowed, Caroline crossed her arms over her chest, feeling suddenly defensive. "Are you accusing me of something?"

"Of course not," he reassured. "I trust you and, as much as Lexi enjoys making me uncomfortable, I trust her too. Neither of you would do this. But the timing is... _troubling_. Mystic Falls is a different place now. It's been quiet for years, but there are people who still remember. And you being here, Lexi too, I'm worried that somehow it's going to stir things up."

"I don't know what happened to those people, Zach. I just know it wasn't us. Maybe, for once, it really is an animal attack. It's not _completely_ unlikely." The dull sensation in the pit of her stomach said different though.

"No, it's not. But it does make me think... If I know two vampires that are living in Mystic Falls, successfully moving under the radar, then what are the odds there are more out there?"

Caroline frowned. "If there are... We need to do something about it." She shook her head. "I said I'd keep you safe, that's not exclusive to this Elena/Katherine stuff... If there's another vampire in town, I'll find them."

"And then what?" he wondered gravely.

She lifted her chin decisively. "Then whatever needs to happen, _will_."

He sighed, but nodded agreeably. "Keep me updated."

"I will," she promised.

With that, she walked out of the kitchen and climbed the stairs back to her bedroom, closing the door on a long and mostly unaccomplished day. With a sigh, she walked to her bed and flopped down on it, staring at the ceiling. Maybe tomorrow would be better.

[ **tbc** : chapter four.]

* * *

 **note** : _consider this long chapter an apology for the long wait. i have had a killer flu that has just been kicking my ass. as soon as i thought it was getting better, it'd return with a vengeance. anyway, i hope there was enough stefan to make up for two stefan-less chapters. also, i really love his little sister eddy. you'll see more of her, and she just cracks me up. she's so much fun to write._

 _thanks so much for reading. please leave a review; they're my lifeblood._

 _happy holidays!  
_ - **lee | fina**


	4. complications

**chapter rating** : pg-13/teen  
 **warning(s)** : explicit violence, strong language, sexual content  
 **word count** : 8,959

* * *

 **-4-**

* * *

"The Battle of Willow Creek took place right at the end of the war in our very own Mystic Falls." Mister Tanner circled around to the front of his desk.

Lexi sat hunched over her notebook, scribbling something out, before she raised it up for Caroline to see. ' _2009: Lexi died of boredom_.'

Caroline folded her mouth to hide her laugh and shook her head at her.

"How many casualties resulted in this battle?" Tanner asked. When no one raised their hand, he called, "Miss Salvatore? Perhaps you can enlighten us, being from one of the founding families."

Lexi looked up, her eyes wide. "Uh, you know, history was never really my forte… I leave the book smarts to my sister."

"I wasn't aware you two shared a grade, or a _brain_ ," Tanner replied.

Turning a glare on him, Caroline replied, "Three-hundred and sixty-four, unless you're counting local civilians."

Tanner hummed, his eyes narrowed on her. "Nice try, but there were no civilian casualties in this battle. Now, perhaps if you and your sister pay attention to my class, you'll learn something."

Caroline lifted her chin defiantly. "Actually, confederate soldiers fired on a church when they thought it housed weapons; they killed _twenty-seven_ civilians. Combined twin brains or not, we can't rewrite history."

His jaw ticked as he stared down at her, but Caroline refused to cower, and eventually, Tanner simply continued with his lesson. When she turned, Lexi was grinning at her, and reached across the aisle, wiggling her fingers. Caroline rolled her eyes, but reached back, meeting the tips of her fingers with her own.

As she was drawing her hand back, she caught Stefan out of the corner of her eye, staring at her, but she turned her gaze forward and focused on the remainder of the class. Stefan Forbes was one person she planned to keep her distance from, no matter how tempting he might be.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"Hey! So, I heard you were coming to the party tonight," Bonnie said, coming to a stop next to Caroline at her locker.

Nodding, Caroline put her last class's books away on the top shelf. "Yeah, well, Lexi and I thought it might be good to meet new people and I know you said the only other fun thing in town was the parties, so…"

"That's great. I was thinking, if you want, we can carpool. I already talked to Elena and she's up for it. I wasn't sure you knew the way to the falls, so I thought I'd ask."

"Sure," she agreed, nodding. "Did you want to meet at your place or…?"

"Um, yeah, or I can drive out and pick you up if you want. I haven't been out to the boarding house in _years_. It'd be kind of cool to see what it looked like."

"Okay, that works too." She put her next class's books in her bag and closed her locker. "Oh! Is there room for one more? I know my cousin and she's going to ask to come…"

"Sure, we can squeeze her in." Bonnie nodded. "Elena and I usually get ready at her place, so I can call before we head over. How's that sound?"

Caroline grinned. "Great!"

"Cool. I'll just need your number." She dug her phone out from her bag and waited for Caroline to recite her phone number before she plugged it in and sent her a text.

As soon as the noise answered to say Caroline received it, Bonnie smiled. "There, now you have mine too." She tucked her phone away in her bag then and said, "Sorry, I have a pop quiz next class. First week of school, can you believe that? Anyway, see you tonight!"

"Sure. Good luck on your quiz."

"Thanks!"

As Bonnie walked off, Caroline slumped back against her locker. Third period had just ended and she was already wishing she'd followed in Lexi's footsteps and just gone home. High school was exhausting.

Shouldering her bag, she started walking down the hall, pausing as she heard a familiar voice calling her name. Turning, she smiled as she saw Sarah walking over. "Hey, little cousin," she greeted.

Sarah rolled her eyes, but hooked her arm with Caroline's. "Hey. _So_ … Is it too soon to call in another favor?"

"Let me guess, you were hoping to bum a ride to tonight's party at the falls…"

Brows hiked in surprise, Sarah nodded. "Actually, _yeah_."

"Well, you're in luck. Lexi and I are catching a ride with Bonnie and Elena, and Bonnie said there was room for you."

Sarah beamed, squeezing Caroline's arm.

" _But_ … You need to be responsible. Which means, if you're going to drink, _limit_ yourself."

"Okay, promise." Sarah bit her lip and then wiggled her hips in a little dance. "This is going to be great! I can already tell." She shook her head. "I'm _so_ glad you're visiting."

Laughing lightly, Caroline leaned over to bump her shoulder against Sarah's. "That's just because I promised we'd go shopping this weekend."

"We're still on for that, right? Because I _seriously_ need some new jeans."

"Yes, absolutely! I never break a shopping date."

Sarah blew out a relieved breath. "Cool. Okay, so, I can get ready with you and Lexi tonight?"

"Sure, and you can raid my closet just like you have been all week."

"Thanks." Popping a kiss to Caroline's cheek, Sarah released her and then hurried off down the hall.

Amused, Caroline watched her go. Maybe the rest of the day would be better than she expected.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Stefan nodded, listening with half an ear as Eddy told him the details of her day, leaving no moment off the record. His mind wandered as they walked down the sidewalk, past shop windows boasting sales. The last time he'd been this preoccupied with a girl, it had blown up in his face, massively. But it had been different then. Everything with Elena and Matt had been so tangled up in history and expectation that it was hard to take a step back and really look at it objectively. Now that he had, he could see where he'd made mistakes, and he didn't plan on repeating them.

"…and then giant vampire aliens beamed me and Kayla Gross up into their spaceship and made us their child brides."

Stefan blinked. Maybe he was listening even less than he thought. " _What?_ "

Eddy raised an accusative eyebrow at him. "Were you even listening?"

"I think I got distracted at some point. What do you know about _child brides?_ "

"We have internet, Stefan. You can find anything these days."

"There are child locks for a reason, Ed." He swung an arm around her neck and threw her off balance. "Now what were you saying?"

She shrugged. "Nothing much. Just that I know you're going to the party tonight, and I don't want to go to the station, so I was hoping you'd convince mom I can stay home alone."

"Uh-huh… And what happened the _last_ time I did that? Do you remember?"

She flushed, her eyes falling. "I watched scary movies and wouldn't stop calling you to come home because I thought the next door neighbor was a serial killer." Shrugging, she added, "In my defense, he's super sketchy."

"He's also seventy, and the only thing we've seen him murder is the hedges."

Eddy snorted. "Fine. I won't watch scary movies and I won't call you this time, _promise_."

"Yeah? I don't know…" he trailed off, shaking his head. "You know how mom is when she's at work, she won't check in, and I'll be out pretty late… You've got school in the morning."

"I'll go to bed on time and everything. Stefan, _please_ …" She tugged at his arm. "If I go to the station, I'll have to spend the whole time in the office. Diaz told mom I ' _antagonize the prisoners_ ' too much, so I'm not allowed to wander anymore."

He laughed. "Diaz isn't wrong."

"Well, if I'm at home, I can't antagonize _anyone_ , so, win/win." She grinned up at him hopefully.

"Ed… You're _ten_. I'm not even sure it's _legal_ to let you stay home alone."

"Who's going to arrest me? _Mom?_ "

"I'm pretty sure that's called a 'conflict of interest,'" an unexpected voice piped up.

Stefan turned his head abruptly, and found Lexi Salvatore grinning at him. Caroline stood beside her, gaze purposely turned toward a store window.

"Lexi, hey," he greeted.

"Hey," she said, before smiling down at Edith. "And who're you?"

"Future Sheriff, Eddy Forbes." She saluted. "Who're you?"

Lexi's smile widened. "High school senior, Lexi Salvatore." She winked. "Nice to meet you, Future Sheriff Forbes. Good town you have here."

"Thanks." She shrugged. "I have plans to fortify it against zombie attack, but, for now, I guess it's all right."

"Zombies, huh? Sounds like my kind of place." Elbowing Caroline, she said, "Caroline, say hi to our future sheriff."

Caroline dragged her gaze off the store window and turned a smile on Eddy. "Hello Future Sheriff Forbes, zombie fortifier extraordinaire."

"I like that. I think I'll add it to my title," Eddy decided.

Stefan stared down at his sister affectionately, before he cast his gaze back toward Caroline. "Bonnie said you were catching a ride with her to the falls tonight."

Nodding, Caroline reached up to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "Yeah, well, she offered, and she has room for Sarah too, so…"

"I'm glad you're going. Maybe, uh, we could hang out together." He shifted his feet. "I could show you the falls, they're… nice." He winced, feeling a flush climb up the back of his neck.

"Uh, yeah, maybe." Caroline looked away then and quickly turned her attention to Lexi. "Hey, isn't this the sale you wanted to check out?"

"Hm? Oh. Right. _The sale_." Lexi's brows hiked. "Nice seeing you, Stefan. Future Sheriff, keep up the good work."

"Be safe out there, civilian," Eddy replied.

Lexi grinned. "Will do." She started around them and toward the door to the store then.

Caroline followed a few steps behind her. "It was nice meeting you. The zombies don't stand a chance." She glanced at Stefan then. "Bye."

"Bye," he said, his eyes following her as she made her way into the store. He slumped as soon as she was out of sight. "They're _nice_ ," he groaned to himself.

"Yeah, you definitely blew that one," Eddy told him, shaking her head. "She's pretty."

"Yeah, she is." He sighed, and then started down the sidewalk, Eddy keeping pace beside him. "Think she might give me another chance?"

"I don't know. You were pretty lame."

Amused by her candid response, he simply shook his head. "Guess we'll find out tonight then, huh?"

Leaning over, she grabbed onto his arm. "Will I be finding out at home or at the station?" she wondered, staring up at him pleadingly.

Stefan sighed. "I'll _talk_ to mom, but I'm not making any guarantees."

"Yes!" She fist-pumped.

Chuckling, he ruffled her hair. " _No_ scary movies though."

"Deal." She nodded. A few seconds later, however, she wondered, "Wait, what qualifies as 'scary'…?"

Stefan sighed.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"Is it too much? It feels like too much." Sarah smoothed her hands down the blue and black dress she was wearing. "You guys are wearing jeans, maybe I should change."

"Don't. It looks nice," Caroline said, standing from her chair and crossing the room to her niece. "You want Lexi to do your hair while I do your make up?"

"Really?" Sarah looked to Lexi, who waved a curling iron and grinned.

"Hop on, Pipsqueak," Lexi said, patting the back of the desk chair.

Taking a seat in front on the chair, Sarah pushed her hair back over her shoulders and then watched Caroline as she gathered her make-up together and made her way over, dragging another chair with her to sit in front of her.

"So I'm thinking a smoky eye and bright lipstick…" Caroline said, gaze wandering over Sarah's face. "Sound good?"

Sarah nodded.

"Is this your first party?" Lexi wondered.

"Kind of. I mean, I've been to a couple house parties, but nobody else really showed up. There were a few people, but it's different, I guess. I mean, the bonfire is kind of one of those big parties, you know?"

"Anybody special you're hoping to see?" Lexi prodded.

A faint flush filled Sarah's cheeks. " _No_ …"

Caroline raised an eyebrow. "You're going to have to get a lot better at lying if you want us to believe you."

"It's dumb. It's just some dumb crush."

"Yeah? Who is it? Do we know them?"

"Kind of, I guess." She shifted in her seat. "Matt Donovan."

" _Matt?_ Really?" Caroline frowned. "Isn't he a little old for you?"

"I know. He's senior, and he'd never go for me."

"It's not that he wouldn't go for you. It's just… You're fifteen."

"Yeah, I know. Plus, he's totally not over Elena Gilbert." Sarah rolled her eyes. "See? Stupid."

"Hey, it's not. Sometimes you can't help who you like. I just… I don't want to see you get hurt." Caroline squeezed Sarah's hand gently. "And besides, if Matt's hung up on Elena, then he doesn't know what he's missing out on. _You_ are definitely the best girl in all of Mystic Falls."

"Whatever. You _have_ to say that, you're family."

"Lexi, tell Sarah she's the coolest, prettiest, smartest girl in Mystic Falls," Caroline beseeched.

"Ditto all of that," Lexi said.

Sarah smiled. "Are you sure you guys can't stay longer?"

"Sorry, Pipsqueak. Eventually, I need to pack my bags," Lexi replied, grabbing up a pack of bobby pins.

"Me too. _But_ , for as long as I'm here, I want us to get in as much bonding time as we can. Right?"

Sarah nodded. "Right."

"Starting with this party." She reached forward then and tilted Sarah's chin up. "Now, hold still…"

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"I thought this was what you wanted…" Bonnie sighed, sitting at the vanity while she absently put on make-up.

Off to the side, Elena was going through different shirt choices at her closet. "It is. Or, it was. I don't _know_. It's just… _confusing_. I thought it would be simple. I thought…" Elena shook her head. "How hard is it to just be with one person? To _love_ one person."

"Look, 'Lena, I know you're hurting, but… Stefan was pretty clear."

"But what if he's doing this because of Matt. Because he wants Matt to be okay. What if he's sacrificing how he feels for his best friend?" Elena shook her head, and checked herself out in the mirror before approving her shirt choice and turning back to Bonnie. "Maybe I'm grasping at straws, I just… I love him, Bon. I do."

"I know. But maybe… Maybe it's time to let him go." She smiled sympathetically. "You and Stefan, you tried to make it work, and it didn't."

"But I can't help thinking that maybe it could have. If my parents didn't die, if I didn't try to hold on to him and Matt at the same time, if I'd just _picked_ him..."

"Are you sure you would have? Or maybe you think it's him because he's the one who turned you down."

" _Bonnie_ …" she said, hurt and offended.

"I'm sorry. I just… Before, you were pretty sure you couldn't choose, but then Stefan says he doesn't want to do it anymore and suddenly you're all Team Stefan." She shook her head. "I just want you to be sure."

"I know, and I am. It's Stefan. It'll always be Stefan."

Bonnie sighed, not looking quite convinced. "Okay…"

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Bonnie stared up at the looming, almost eerie house before her. Elena hadn't left the car, fiddling with the radio, while Bonnie went ahead and knocked on the door. Could they even hear her in there? Considering the size of the place, it must be hard to hear anyone. Maybe Caroline had her own wing. Or maybe there was a butler that—

The door swung open and a grinning Caroline greeted her. "Hey. Come on in," she said, taking a step back. "Lexi's just finishing Sarah's hair. It turned out to be a bigger job than we were expecting." She rolled her eyes lightheartedly.

Bonnie glanced back, but Elena was fiddling on her phone, so she shrugged and stepped inside. The décor was a little on the antique-y side for her tastes, but it was still nice. All dark earth tones, expensive looking rugs, and low lamp lighting.

"We're upstairs," Caroline said, making her way over. "Uncle Zach's around here somewhere, and Aunt Gail is at book club." She leaned over a little and smirked. "Which is just code for 'drinking wine with her girlfriends.'"

Bonnie laughed, and followed her up the stairs, admiring the art on the walls and the family pictures of Zach, Gail, and Sarah ranging Sarah's entire life so far. From toothless, drooling baby to exasperated teenager. While Bonnie recognized her from the halls of Mystical Falls High School, she couldn't remember a time she'd ever personally interacted with Sarah Salvatore, which wasn't unexpected considering she was two years older than her.

"How many floors are there to this place?" Bonnie wondered as they climbed a third, much shorter set of stairs.

"Two, but my room's kind of elevated. There's a cellar too, but it's creepy and generally avoided when possible." She smiled over her shoulder and pushed her bedroom door open. Zach and Gail stay on the main floor, and Sarah and Lexi are over there." She pointed to two doors down the hall.

"Big place."

"Yeah, there's an office and a library that used to operate as bedrooms too, back when it was a functioning boarding house."

"We're almost done," Lexi called out as they walked in. "Just one more curl and then we can go."

"Take your time. Better to be fashionably late anyway," Bonnie said, before casting her eyes around the room. "I think you could fit my room in here _twice_ and still have space for a walk-in closet."

Caroline shrugged. "I lucked out. The view sucks though; it's basically just the back driveway."

"Right, from your personal balcony." Bonnie grinned. "I'm officially saying it now, any future sleepovers should be done here."

Caroline laughed. "Deal."

"And, _voila!_ " Lexi took a step back and Sarah turned to check her hair in the mirror. "See. Perfection takes time."

Sarah grinned as she stood. "Thanks, Lex."

"No worries. You got everything? Because I needed a beer like, two hours ago."

Caroline shook her head, mouth ticked up in amusement.

"I think Elena has a flask if you wanted to start early," Bonnie offered, shrugging.

"Sounds like my kind of girl." Lexi wiggled her eyebrows at Caroline before snagging her jacket off the end of the bed. "All right. Let's go. There's a party calling my name, and I plan to rock it."

While Lexi and Sarah walked ahead, Caroline double-checked the curling iron was turned off before walking over to Bonnie. "Ready?"

Bonnie nodded and preceded her out the door. "Lexi seems pretty excited for the bonfire."

Caroline shrugged. "Lexi likes anything with loud music and alcohol."

"What about you?"

"Let's just say it's a good thing I'm not hosting it. I'm a bit of a control freak and I micromanage _everything_. It might be nice to just let loose and not have to worry about everything."

"You threw a lot of parties back in New York?"

Caroline smirked, her brows hiked. "I'll use any excuse to throw a party."

"What about your uncle? Would he let you throw one here?"

"Probably not. But if he and Gail happen to be away for a weekend, I think we can definitely set something up."

Bonnie grinned. "Sounds like fun. Count me in."

"Sure."

As they made their way out to the driveway, they found Lexi and Sarah standing with Elena, who had left the car and was leaning back against the front passenger side door. Lexi knocked back a swig from Elena's flask before holding it out to Sarah, who shook her head.

Lexi shrugged. "More for me." She took another swig before handing it back to Elena, who followed in her footsteps.

"Good to go?" Elena asked, wiping at her mouth.

"Yup. All accounted for." Bonnie circled around to the driver's side. "I have a good feeling about tonight. I think it'll be fun."

"Somebody knock on wood," Lexi laughed.

The girls hopped into the car and Bonnie put on her seat belt.

Elena fiddled with the radio some more until she found a good song, and everybody started singing along. And then they were off, singing a little off-key and eager to have a good time.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

The party was a lot bigger than Caroline was expecting for a town that only boasted a little over six thousand people. But it seemed every teenager within Mystic Falls had ambled over for some free beer and company. It wasn't nearly as rowdy as some of the parties she'd been to in the past, but that was a relief. Sarah had already wandered off in search of familiar faces, while Lexi had quickly gone in search of drinks. Meanwhile, Bonnie and Elena seemed to be in a deep, somewhat dramatic, private conversation by the fire, leaving Caroline to linger outside of a wooden gazebo by herself. She was still looking for a way to get close to Elena, but it seemed every opportunity she was presented with was quickly hindered by someone else.

Curious to see if the current drama might help her situation, Caroline tucked her hair behind her ear and extended her hearing toward where Bonnie and Elena stood by a small fire.

 _"…really think it's a good idea to talk to him here. I mean, Matt's here too, and you know how it is when everyone's been drinking_ ," Bonnie warned.

 _"I don't want to wait. I waited all summer and look what good it did me. I'm done avoiding this."_

 _"Have you even talked to Matt? Does he know how you feel or… anything?"_

 _"It's not about Matt. It's about me and Stefan and…"_ Elena sighed. " _I'll talk to him, I will. I just… I feel like if I don't do something now, I never will."_

 _"I'm still not so sure you should_ ," Bonnie admitted. _"I know you're feeling good about it now, but you and Stefan only just talked last night, and… What if it doesn't go the way you want it to?"_

 _"You said it yourself. Stefan loves me. And I love him. What else is there?"_

"Caroline."

Blinking, Caroline turned, surprised to see the star of the conversation she was eavesdropping on walking toward her. "Stefan… _hey_."

"Hey." He smiled at her. "So, about earlier, what I said… I probably sounded really lame. Sorry. I was just… I don't know. Nervous, I guess."

"Nervous?" She shook her head, her brow furrowed. "About what?"

"You," he admitted, ducking his eyes briefly. "I wasn't expecting to see you and then, there you were, and I- I don't know. I can't remember the last time I felt tongue tied, but…"

" _Oh_." Caroline shifted her feet. "Well, there's nothing to be nervous about. I'm just me."

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure that's what's making me nervous." He shook his head. "Can we try again?"

"I don't know. I think we're two short."

He smiled. "Ah, well. I think I saw your sister digging through a cooler somewhere in… _that_ direction." He pointed. "And my sister is at home, probably half-way through a movie I _definitely_ told her she shouldn't watch."

A short laugh escaped her.

His smiled widened into a grin. "Look, I… What I was trying to say was that I'd really like to hang out and get to know you better and… If you wanted to see the falls, or if you just wanted to hang out here, I'm good with either one."

Caroline peered up at him, his face so open and sincere and hopeful. She swallowed tightly as a ball of emotion swelled in her throat. "I…" Her gaze wandered past him, toward the fire, where Elena and Bonnie were standing. "I don't think that's a good idea," she finally said.

"Oh." His smile fell. "Uh… Sure. That's… Yeah, okay."

"I'm sorry." She winced. "I just think… This thing, with you and Elena—" He shook his head, but before he could interrupt, she waved her hands to stop him. "It doesn't matter. You don't have to tell me about it. I'm not asking. I'm just saying, it's complicated and… I think you're a great guy, really. But, I don't want to get in the middle of anything and, even if you don't think there's something to get in the middle of _, she does_. Which means a middle exists. _So_ …" She folded her hands together. "Enjoy your night, Stefan." With that, she walked away, quickly searching out Lexi and making her way toward her.

After taking a drag from her beer, Lexi handed it to her. "I think I can actually hear his tiny, human heart shattering into a million pieces."

"Shut up," Caroline muttered, taking a swig from the beer. "It never would have worked. He's human and I'm… It doesn't matter." She drew a deep breath. "I'm here to figure this thing out, not to hook up with anybody. I need to stop thinking about Stefan and focus on getting close to Elena."

" _Or_ we could forget both, pack your car, and get out of this backwoods town."

"Lexi…" she sighed. " _Please_. Will you just help me?"

" _Fine_." Lexi finished off her beer and then tossed it toward a pile of other empty bottles. "Come on, let's go infiltrate the inner circle."

Nodding decisively, Caroline followed her over toward the fire, resolutely avoiding Stefan, whose eyes she could feel burning a hole into her back.

Stay on task, she told herself. Stefan Forbes was a mistake waiting to happen. He had 'Elena Gilbert's Property' practically stamped on his forehead. And Caroline knew first-hand what that face could do to a man. She wasn't going to take her chances trying to woo someone that would always have their heart set elsewhere.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Just as they reached Elena, Bonnie hurried off, her gaze distant and her expression twisted with worry and fear.

"Is she okay?" Lexi wondered, staring after her.

"Yeah, it was just weird." Elena shook her head. "We were joking about this… _dumb_ psychic thing her grandma says she has and then she touched me and she thought she saw something or felt something or… _Whatever_. But, I don't know. She says she's okay, but she looked pretty upset. Maybe I should go after her."

"I will," Lexi offered. "I wanted to talk to her about something anyway. We're in the same biology class." She offered a smile. "Don't worry about it. We'll come find you."

"Okay…" Elena frowned, uncertainly, but then looked to Caroline as Lexi walked off. "So, how are you liking it here? We haven't really had a chance to talk much, I guess."

"It's been good. Takes a little getting used to, but we're adapting."

"Yeah, Bonnie said that before you moved here, you were in New York. Big change."

"Yeah. A lot noisier, more crowded. In some ways, this feels a lot better."

"And you moved back because of your parents…?" She paused, shook her head. "Sorry, that was… _invasive_. I hate it when other people ask about my parents. You don't have to answer."

"No, it's fine. My mom died when I was pretty young, my dad a few years after that."

"Wow. That must've been hard."

"It… was. I was really close to my mom. I still think about her a lot." She drew a deep breath and attempted a smile. "I guess I don't have to tell you that. I heard about what happened to your parents. I'm sorry you went through that."

"Thanks. Yeah, it's been… difficult. My brother is struggling more than me, I think." She shook her head. "We have different coping skills, I guess. He turns to drugs and I sabotage my own romantic life." She laughed a little bitterly. "Sorry, you don't want to hear about all that."

"It's fine. If you need to talk, I'm here to listen," Caroline offered.

Elena smiled. "Thanks. That's really nice of you."

"Sure. No worries." She shrugged. "It's weird. I know we don't know each other very well, but you remind me of someone, an old friend of mine."

"Really? Who?"

"Her name was Katherine. Katherine Pierce." Caroline observed her carefully, searching for any flicker of recognition. She listened to her heart for any sign that it sped up or slowed down or skipped a beat. But there was nothing. Elena Gilbert didn't know Katherine Pierce. Either that or she was an expert at hiding the truth. "You kind of look like her too. Weird."

"Yeah, that is weird. But, I'm glad I do if it makes you feel comfortable."

Far from it, actually, but Caroline didn't say that. Instead, she smiled. "So, a sabotaged love life, huh? I think I can relate…"

"Yeah?" Elena snorted. "I don't know. I think I have you beat."

"Really?"

"Well, I was dating two boys at once, who were best friends, and I fell in love with both of them. And then, instead of making it easy and just picking one of them, I decided I wanted them both." At Caroline's surprised expression, she sighed. "I know, selfish, right? It's just… I've known them practically my whole life. My first kiss was with Matt, my first time was with Stefan, and we agreed it wasn't exclusive, it was just sort of… _ours_. They always knew about each other, it was never a secret, it was just… I could never choose. Everything I wanted and needed, I found in both of them. And what I couldn't find in one, I found in the other… But, it was hurting them, and I ignored it for as long as I could." She sighed. "Until my parents died and things just kind of ballooned, and I had Matt begging me to pick him, and Stefan telling me I needed to make a choice, and I asked them to just give me the summer to figure things out, so they did. But then summer ended and…"

"And you still didn't know," Caroline murmured softly.

"Yeah." Elena smiled faintly. "Awful, right?"

"In my experience, love usually is." She stared at Elena searchingly, but it wasn't her she was seeing. It was Katherine.

Katherine cornering her in the library. Katherine's hands on her face, thumbs softly brushing her cheek. Katherine's lips gently climbing the slope of her neck. _'What is so wrong in wanting both of you? I can love you both.'_ But Caroline hadn't wanted that. While something inside her wanted Katherine, it cared a lot more for her brother than it ever would for her. ' _Damon loves you… I will not stand in his way.'_ At the time, she remembered Katherine taking 'no' for an answer, much as it pained her to do so. But later, when she'd turned and the compulsion had trickled away, she remembered things more clearly. _'And if I told you I loved you, what then? Who is truly being betrayed here, Damon or you? Would you betray your own heart to keep his intact?_ ' She'd answered quite seriously, _'I would.'_ But Katherine had only scoffed at her. _'I am not someone who allows herself to be denied what she wants. And what I want is_ you _. Both of you.'_

Shaking her head, Caroline drew herself back into the moment. "So… What now?"

"Now…" Elena looked past her, and Caroline turned to see Stefan standing in the distance, leaning against the gazebo as he talked to a small group of people. "Now I stop running from the inevitable."

Caroline's gaze fell, and then returned to Elena. With a false smile, she said, "Good luck."

Elena grinned. "Thanks." She moved to walk past her then. "Hey, if you see Bonnie, tell her to come find me."

Nodding, Caroline promised, "I will."

En route to Stefan, Elena was waylaid by Matt, and Caroline wondered if everyone with that face was doomed to a tragic love triangle.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"Look who I found," Lexi called out in greeting.

Caroline looked up, and smiled as Lexi, Bonnie, and Sarah walked toward her. "The gang's all together."

"Almost. Where's Elena?" Bonnie wondered.

"Uh, last I saw her, she was talking to Matt but _trying_ to talk to Stefan…" She shrugged.

Bonnie winced, glancing at her sympathetically, which Caroline chose to pretend she hadn't noticed.

"I think she followed her brother into the woods," Sarah offered. "He looked pretty drunk."

"Jeremy…" Bonnie sighed, looking tired.

"We can go look for her if you want," Lexi said. "Drunk people can be hard to corral."

"We might need to." Bonnie cast her eyes over the large crowd. "If we know what direction they went in."

Caroline and Lexi exchanged a look. "Why don't we split up and take a look around? Meet back here in ten."

"Deal." Bonnie started off in one direction while Sarah walked in another.

"They're over there," Lexi said, pointing. "I can hear them…" She trailed off. "Something's wrong."

"What?" Caroline extended her own hearing.

 _"Help me get her up. We—We have to get her help. She's bleeding out, Elena. Help me!"_

Teeth clenched, Caroline balled her hands into fists.

"What do you want to do?"

"If we leave now, it'll look suspicious."

"If we leave now, we might find whoever attacked her."

"It could have been an animal," Caroline muttered, more defensively than she meant to.

Lexi raised a knowing eyebrow. "I told you, you're the worst liar, especially on the phone."

"I know." She frowned. "Which is why I stopped calling him."

"Right, because avoiding him is a _much_ better plan." Lexi rolled her eyes. "If it's him, then we need to head this off."

"If it's him, I'll stop him." Caroline turned, searching the area. "Let's find Sarah. We're leaving."

"What about—?"

"Somebody help!" Elena screamed, as she and Jeremy broke through the edge of the woods, a body cradled in his arms.

"Vicki," Matt said, rushing across the gazebo floor and out to meet them. "Vicki, what the hell!?"

Jeremy laid her down on top of a picnic table as people began to crowd around them curiously.

Matt leaned over his sister and then shouted back, "Somebody call an ambulance!"

"Everybody back up, give her some space," Tyler ordered, pushing at the bodies surrounding him.

"There's nothing we can do here," Caroline said, though her gaze lingered on the body of Vicki Donovan, while the scent of her blood filled the air. "Find Sarah."

Lexi didn't bother to argue this time, instead she walked away, searching out the youngest Salvatore, while Caroline continued to watch from a distance.

"It's her neck, something bit her, she's losing a lot of blood," Elena said worriedly. "It's bad."

"Put this on her neck," Matt said.

"Vicki, come on, open your eyes, look at me."

Caroline frowned, hands shaking at her sides, and then she turned on her heel, and walked away.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Twenty minutes later found Lexi, Sarah, and Caroline in the driveway leading to the boarding house.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Sarah wondered, chewing her lower lip.

"I don't know, sweetie." Lexi rubbed her back soothingly. "But the ambulance was on its way, so… She's got a good chance."

"If it wasn't an animal, does that mean…?" Sarah looked between them.

"There's another vampire in Mystic Falls," Caroline declared, nodding. "But it's okay." She hugged an arm around Sarah's shoulders as she led her toward the back door. "You have your locket, right? You never take it off?"

"Never," Sarah agreed.

"Good. And you take vervain, every day."

"Twice a day, if dad's feeling paranoid."

Caroline nodded. "I know it seems like overkill, but… We only want you to be safe."

"I know." She smiled. "And I appreciate it."

Lexi pulled the door open and ushered them in. "Could you _be_ any more of a Saint? Shouldn't you be rebelling at your age?"

Sarah laughed, but Caroline couldn't quite muster enough humor.

"Hey, Sarah, why don't you check in with your mom, tell her how the party went. I need to talk to your dad."

"Sure." Sarah smiled at each of them and then waved to her father, sitting at his desk. "Night, pops."

"Night," Zach called after her, before turning his attention to Caroline, his brow furrowed. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"There was another attack," Lexi said, shrugging off her jacket. "Someone bit Vicki Donovan in the woods and, before you ask, _no_ , it wasn't us."

He stared back at them. "But you have an idea of who it was."

A muscle ticked in Caroline's cheek. "Yeah, we do."

With a sigh, he rubbed a hand over his forehead. "It's Uncle Damon, isn't it?"

"If it is, I'll handle it." Caroline stared at him seriously. "My promise still stands. _Nobody_ will hurt you or this family."

"But Damon—"

"I can handle Damon." She glanced at Lexi and then turned to the stairs. "I'm the only one who can."

Taking the stairs two at a time, Caroline made her way to her bedroom, nerves fried and anger flooding through her. Tearing off her jacket, she stalked across her bedroom floor, but paused halfway as she felt a cool breeze. Turning her head, she spotted the open doors to her balcony.

With a sharp caw, a crow flew into the room and arced upward to land on a ceiling beam. She followed it with her eyes, but felt his presence behind her. When she turned, he was standing in the doorway of her balcony.

"Damon," she greeted calmly.

"Little Sister," he replied, mouth upturning in a mischievous smirk.

As he walked inside, she moved to tuck her jacket away in her closet, before leaning down to unzip her boots. Flexing her toes, she rubbed her feet against the soft rug and then turned back to see him. "Still controlling hapless animals, I see."

"You should see what I can do with the fog."

Drawing a deep breath, and praying for patience, she asked, "What are you doing here?"

"You don't call, you don't write, I'm liable to worry… Thought I'd drop in, say hello, see how my favorite sibling is doing. Although, as I've heard it, I have another bright, blonde sister now. A fraternal _twin_ of yours… Where _is_ Lexi?"

"Avoiding you, I'd guess." Caroline crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him searchingly. "What you did to that girl tonight was reckless."

"She'll live," he scoffed.

"Yeah, and what will she remember? Hm?" She glared at him. "God, you always do this. You blow into town, make a mess, and then leave it for me to clean up."

"Right, I'm the irresponsible, reckless one. Do you want another violin for this sob story?"

"I promised Zach that nothing would happen while I was here. I told him he was _safe_."

"He is. And so is his pretty little family." He smirked slowly. " _For now_."

Lip curling, Caroline stalked toward him. "You turned it off again, didn't you?" She shook her head, hair bouncing at her shoulders. "Why do you keep doing this? Huh? Because of _her?_ "

"Contrary to popular belief, my every choice doesn't revolve around Katherine Pierce."

"Really? Could have fooled me." She scoffed. "You need to leave, Damon. Leave this house, leave this _town_ …"

"It's my home too, remember?"

"It's hard to remember when you're the one terrorizing it." Her head tipped, curious now. "Are you the one who killed those people on the road, too?"

"It was a long trip, I got hungry." He grinned before turning and walking toward a tall book shelf to busy himself fiddling with things.

"You can't stay."

Ignoring her, he continued to move knick-knacks around. "So, how goes the stalking?" he asked, picking up and then discarding of a candle. "Question, is flirting with one of Elena's boyfriends part of the plan? Is it supposed to give you something to bond over or…?"

Caroline's breath caught.

"What? You thought I didn't know." His brows wiggled. "I've done my own research, Little Sister. Elena _Gilbert_. A founding family, too. Coincidence? A strange one, that's for sure." He began wandering the room, appearing casual. "She took my breath away… _Elena_. She's a dead ringer for Katherine."

Caroline followed him with her eyes.

"You know, I can't help but wonder if that makes it better or worse for you…" He peered at her through narrowed eyes. "All these years, you've held nothing but disdain for her. And yet, here you are, trying to buddy up to her exact double." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Bit of a mixed signal, don't you think?"

"She's not Katherine, Damon, and I only wanted to know that for sure before I did anything."

"And what was it you were planning on _doing_ , exactly?" He sauntered a little closer to her. "Because last I checked, Katherine was the bane of your existence. The person you blamed for everything wrong in your world. You being a vampire, our father's death, _me_."

"Katherine made her own mistakes, and she paid for them. Elena isn't her. I just needed to be sure."

"Of what? Hm?" He smirked. "Of _me?_ That I wouldn't hunt her down, looking for my long lost love…?"

"It crossed my mind," she admitted.

"That's right… Perfect little Caroline, always having to clean up my messes…" He grinned, and came to a stop a few feet in front of her. "You know what a shrink would tell you? To _stop_. Stop making excuses, stopping fixing things, stop _impeding_ my growth."

"What growth?" She scoffed. "Every decade or so, you turn the switch, and then you show up wherever I am and you bring chaos right behind you." She stepped toward him. "Not this time. Not here. I won't _let_ you."

He leaned toward her, searching her eyes. "You think you can take me?"

"You and I both know I'm stronger."

"Yeah, we do." His teeth flashed. "We also know that you always pull your punches."

He lunged toward her, eyes bleeding black, veins spidering across his cheeks. Caroline met his attack with her own, and soon they were crashing across her room, tumbling over the edge of her balcony, and falling to the driveway below. She caught herself, mid-fall, landing in a crouch, and threw her head back to force her hair out of her way, eyes scanning the area in search of another attack. Baring her teeth, she snarled, "I'm not playing your _games_ , brother."

"Kind of feels like you are…" Damon stepped out from the shadows to meet her, smiling all the while. "Just like old times, huh? You and me and a town full of unsuspecting victims."

Drawing a deep breath, she grabbed hold of her control. "We're not like that anymore, Damon. We aren't baby vampires that don't know the first thing about control. We're _past_ that." Sighing, she shook her head. "If you would just flip your switch back on, you would remember than you're better than this. It doesn't have to be this way. _We_ don't have to be this way."

Humming, he sauntered over and reached up to brush a stray strand of hair from her cheek, gently tucking it behind her ear. "Do you remember when you forced me to turn? And you told me that you were selfish, that you refused to live out your eternity without me?" He didn't wait for her to reply; he knew as well as she did that she would never forget that moment. "Do you regret it? Hm? Do you regret who you'll spend the rest of your undead life with?"

Caroline stared up at him. "The only thing I regret is showing you how to turn it off."

He grinned at that. "I'm sure I would've figured it out eventually."

"Maybe… Maybe not." She brushed his hand away. "If you're staying, you need to behave." She walked past him, toward the house.

"Or what?" he called after her, turning on his heel to watch her go. "You'll lecture me some more?"

Caroline frowned, resolve settling heavy in her gut. "Or I'll stop pulling my punches."

Damon didn't reply, not even to mock her.

 _Message received_.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

When Stefan got home, he was exhausted, and just a little tipsy. The shock of Vicki Donovan being attacked in the woods had brought life back into startling clarity. For as long as he'd known Matt, he'd known Vicki. He'd bore witness to her spiral, to Matt's exhaustion trying to keep her together, and to their mother's inability to either stick around or parent them the way they needed. Seeing her like he had tonight, it had been like a horror movie. One he would really like to never repeat.

Closing the door behind him, Stefan kicked his shoes off and made his way down the hall to his bedroom. The lights were out and his mom's SUV was missing, so he assumed she was still at work. Given what had happened to Vicki, he wasn't surprised. She was probably going to be pulling another all-nighter.

Stefan paused outside of Eddy's room. The little sign that read her name, with a zombie face sticker X'd out and a toy Sheriff's badge pinned to it, hung a little lopsided due to her aptitude for always flinging the door open and shut. As he pushed it open, he found her blanket missing, as well as her. Instead of panicking, however, he made his way down the hall to his bedroom and walked inside. Flopping down on his bed, legs still hanging over the edge, he said, "So? Which one did you watch?"

"I looked it up, and it said that they used pea soup for the puke in The Exorcist… I don't think I'll ever eat pea soup again," Eddy replied, from where she lay tucked under his bed, wrapped in her blanket. She'd been doing this since she was much younger. Finding solace in his room, hiding under his bed, wanting to be close but not _too_ close. Eventually, she would crawl out from underneath and into his bed, letting him hold her until she fell asleep, and then he would carry her back to her own room. The only time she hadn't come out and he'd had to dig her out was last year, when their parents were fighting, the first time the word divorce was yelled so loudly, and clearly, it couldn't be ignored.

Stefan knew it was the right choice. His parents didn't exactly bring out the best in each other. Maybe they used to, or maybe they were good at acting like they did, when their kids could hear or see it. Either way, eventually, it all broke down, and there was no more hiding the truth. Bill was gay, he loved someone else, and he was leaving. He still called, and Eddy answered every phone call with the same glee she always had. But Stefan… Stefan wasn't so eager to talk to his dad. It wasn't that he was gay, he couldn't care less about that; it was that he left. That he was so _willing_ to leave. And with him gone and his mom working as often as she could, it was starting to feel like he didn't have parents at all. Just a little sister that needed taking care of. Like they'd decided he was old enough now that he didn't need them, or maybe they didn't need him.

"Did you have dinner?" he wondered, rubbing a hand over his forehead.

"Mac n' cheese," she told him.

"Are you still hungry?"

Eddy hummed thoughtfully and then said, "I could eat!"

He half-smiled and rolled himself off the bed. "Come on. I'll make us something. And then you're going to bed, you've got school tomorrow."

Eddy rolled herself out from under the bed, wrapped in her blanket like a burrito. "Can I sleep in here?" she asked, turning over onto her knees and pushing herself up to stand, never letting the blanket come loose.

"Yeah," he said, and ruffled her hair before he walked down the hall toward the kitchen. Maybe having Eddy close would help stave off any nightmares of Vicki's torn open neck.

Eddy shuffled behind him down the hall. "How was the party?" she wondered.

"Uh, it didn't turn out the way anyone was hoping." He frowned, making his way to the fridge, and dug out the cheese, Black Forest ham, and margarine. Grabbing a loaf of bread off the counter, and a knife from the drawer, he put everything on the island counter. Setting a pan on the stove to heat up, he untied the bread and started buttering one side. "You know Vicki Donovan?"

"Yup! She's Mattie's sister," Eddy nodded, sitting atop a stool.

"Yeah, well, there was an accident in the woods and she was hurt by an animal. She's at the hospital now, so they're doing what they can to help her."

Eddy's eyes fell for a moment, her brow furrowed. "Will she be okay?"

"I hope so."

"Is mom gonna help catch the animal that did it?"

"I think mom will work with the animal control people to see what they can do to find it, yeah."

"Do you think she'll get hurt?" Eddy worried, gnawing at her bottom lip.

Stefan smiled gently. "Mom's pretty tough, and whatever's in the woods would lose a fight with her."

Eddy grinned at that, looking relieved. "Yeah, she'd kick their butt!"

Assembling a couple of ham and cheese sandwiches, Stefan put them on the pan, and waited for them to cook.

"So… What happened with the girl?" Eddy was kneeling on the stool now, her elbows on the island, blanket still wrapped around her, keeping her toasty.

Stefan's smile dimmed. "She… turned me down."

"How come?"

"Uh, she thought it was a little too complicated." He dug through a drawer for a flipper. "Everything with Elena, she didn't want to get in the middle of it."

"But you and Elena broke up before summer."

"Yeah, kind of. Elena wanted some time to think about things. Things were pretty difficult for her after her parents died."

"But you said you were over her," Eddy reminded knowingly.

"I am. But I think Elena feels differently…"

"I thought you liked _Caroline_ ," she sighed, exasperated.

Laughing under his breath, he looked back at her. "I do. But, Elena and I just ended things, _properly_ , maybe I need a little time before I start dating again."

Rolling her eyes, she said, "You had all summer. How long do you need?"

"It's a good thing you're becoming a sheriff and not a relationship counselor, Ed," he joked.

"Whatever. Relationships are weird. You weren't even happy with Elena. You used to get upset all the time when she was hanging out with Mattie. And you and Matt never hung out either. He stopped coming over and you guys got into that fight last year too… It's just like with mom and dad. Mom would pretend she was happy, that she wanted dad to stay, but… She was happier when they broke up. It was like, now she didn't have to pretend anymore."

Stefan stared at her a long moment, and then nodded. "Yeah… You're right. Relationships are weird."

"You wanna know what I think?" She grinned at him, wiggling around.

Smiling, he flipped their grilled sandwiches over. "I think you'll tell me anyway, but sure, go ahead."

"I think you shouldn't give up. Tell Caroline you really like her and you're over Elena and then ask her to go to the comet festival tomorrow."

"Yeah?"

"Yup!"

"What if she says no?"

"Well, then you gotta let it go. But at least you know you really tried."

Stefan nodded, and dug out a pair of plates from the cupboard. "Good advice."

"So you'll do it? You'll ask her?"

"I'll talk to her," he hedged. "I don't know if I'll ask her to the festival, but… I can tell her that whatever's going on with Elena, it's one sided, and I'd really like to get to know her better."

"You wanna _kiss_ her!"

Chuckling, he shook his head. "Cut it out, or I'll burn your sandwich."

Eddy gasped dramatically. "Not the food!" she cried. "Anything but the food!"

"Dork," he muttered, but served their sandwiches out and slid her plate toward her. "There. Perfectly golden."

"Praise Stefan," she said before digging her arms out from her blanket burrito and grabbing up her sandwich to pull apart, making noises when it was too hot for her fingers, but refusing to stop. "When the zombies come, I'll save you first."

Rolling his eyes, he took a bite of his and then knocked his sandwich against the piece she was holding in cheers. "So… The Exorcist, huh?"

Her nose wrinkled. "Most of it was boring, but I did learn some new words." Her eyes twinkled.

Stefan snorted. Their mom was going to have a fit when she found out.

* * *

 **author's note** : _i've been sucked in by the 'girl meets world' fandom -it surprised me too- so i've been working on a fic for them and just haven't had the time to edit the stuff i already had written for this. anyway, i was watching a season one episode of bones and marguerite |macintyre (aka liz forbes) was guest starring and it gave me the kick in the ass i needed to read through this chapter and get it posted. i love writing eddy and you get to see more of her personality in this chapter, so i hope you're all as fond of her as i am. also, i can't help but love caroline's soft rejection of stefan. i couldn't have her go as firm on the whole thing as stefan was in season one (poor guy had no idea what was coming), but i did like the parallel all the same. and hope's not lost! ;) also, damon is here! yay! i honestly love writing their sibling dynamic. you see hints of how close and protective they are of each other even while they're antagonizing each other and that's a very important aspect of their relationship that will develop more over the course of the story. so i hope you enjoy it too!_

 _as per usual, i'd appreciate it if you let me know what you think and leave it in a review!_

 **\- lee | fina**


	5. angels & devils

**chapter rating** : pg-13/teen  
 **word count** : 6,365

* * *

 **-5-**

"Question…" Lexi flipped a page in her magazine as she sat on Caroline's bed, her back against the headboard. "If you've already talked to Elena and you're 99.9 percent sure she doesn't know who Katherine is and has no affiliation to her, why are we still here?"

" _Because_. Just because she doesn't _know_ Katherine doesn't mean there isn't something weird going on. She doesn't just look like her, she's an _exact_ double." Caroline dug around in her closet, pulling out a pair of boots and checking in the mirror to see if they fit with her outfit. "What do you think?"

"Cute," Lexi said, looking her over quickly. "Anyway, I think we're wasting our time. If Elena has no idea who Katherine is, how is she supposed to know why she looks like her?"

Caroline frowned, her brow furrowed. "You're right."

Lexi grinned. "Great, then we can leave tonight." She threw her legs over the edge of the bed. "I'm gonna go pack."

" _Lexi_ …" she sighed.

Groaning, Lexi looked back at her. "What?"

"We can't leave…" She shook her head. "Damon's in town. I can't just leave this place at his mercy. And besides, even if Elena doesn't know why she looks like Katherine, someone else might." She looked away for a moment. "You know, Stefan said Bonnie's grandmother was a professor of occult studies over at Whitmore College… In 1864, Katherine had a witch, Emily _Bennett_ … What if Bonnie and her grandmother are descendants of Emily's?"

"So, you think Bonnie's a witch?"

"I think, at the very least, her grandmother is. And if she knows so much about the occult, maybe she can tell us something about Katherine and Elena."

"So… Roadtrip to Whitmore?" Lexi asked hopefully.

"Or we could check in with Bonnie. Maybe her grandmother's in town…" Smoothing a hand down her hip, she turned and reached for her jacket on the back of her desk chair. "Come on, if we don't leave soon, we'll be late for class."

"Yay, history…" Lexi muttered dryly.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"Matt!" Stefan hurried his steps and quickly apologized to someone he bumped into before he caught up "Hey."

Matt slowed his steps and waited for Stefan to fall into sync with him. "Hey."

"I, uh, I called a few times, but… I know you were probably busy."

"Yeah, I've been at the hospital all night." He sighed, shaking his head, and ran a hand through his hair.

Stefan nodded. "How's Vicki?"

"They're keeping her overnight to make sure there's no infection, but she should be able to come home tomorrow."

Relief flooded through him. "Good, I'm glad. Last night, I… I don't know. I guess it's hard to tell how bad something is when everyone is panicking."

"Yeah, no, it was pretty brutal, but… I don't know. She seems to be doing okay. She's mostly been sleeping."

"That's good. Hopefully whatever's attacking people gets picked up soon."

"Yeah. Actually… Vicki kind of woke up and…" Matt scoffed, shaking his head. "It's crazy, but, she said she was attacked by a _vampire_."

Stefan snorted. "What?"

"Yeah, she just woke up, muttered 'vampire,' and then passed right back out." He shrugged. "She was drunk, she was probably having some weird dream or something, I don't know… How's your mom's search going?"

Stefan sighed. "She said they had animal control combing the woods, but it's a little hard to tell what did it. _Not_ that I'm saying a vampire's an option, just that there are a lot of different things living out there. Anyway, they have some theories, but she's not sharing them."

"Yeah." Matt hummed. "You know… I called my mom."

His brows hiked with mild surprise. "Really?"

"She's in Virginia Beach with her boyfriend, didn't pick up, so I left a message. We'll see how long it takes her to come rushing home."

Stefan frowned sympathetically. "I'm sorry. You know if you need any help, or just a place to crash for a while, door's always open."

Matt nodded. "Yeah, I know…" He cast his eyes around the hall then, and lingered on Elena, standing at her locker with Bonnie. "Hey, I know we haven't really had a chance to talk about everything with Elena, but—"

"That's over," Stefan told him firmly. "Last year, everything that happened, it never should have gotten that far." Fiddling with the strap of his bag, he inhaled deeply and let it out on a sigh. "This whole thing with Elena, I put it before our friendship, and I regret it. I can't take it back, but… You're still my best friend, and I don't want to throw that away."

"Yeah. Me either." Matt looked over at him, a brow raised, "You figure this out over the summer, or you come to this conclusion after the Salvatore twins showed up?"

Stefan laughed, a slow grin pulling at his lips. "Honestly, I figured it out this summer. It has nothing to do with Caroline."

"No? Cause I've seen you looking at her…" Matt half-smiled teasingly.

"I'm… interested in her. But, I think it's pretty one-sided. She basically told me last night that it was never going to happen."

Humming, he nodded. "Well, guess you gave it your best try, huh?" He raised an eyebrow. "Or did you fumble it like you do most relationships?"

"I didn't… _fumble_ it. I just… I don't know. Mostly I just stood there and let her do all the talking."

"Yeah. Which means you fumbled it." Matt shook his head. "Look, if you really like her, do something about it. You and Elena are history, we're still friends, and it's senior year, man… You want to spend it wishing you'd made a move when you had the chance or on the arm of a hot blonde?"

"Is the hot blonde you or Caroline in this situation?"

Laughing, Matt shoved him with his elbow. "Shut up."

Chuckling, Stefan nodded. "You and Eddy gave me the same advice. I'll talk to her. But if she says no again then… I'll just have to let it go."

"If Tyler was here, he'd tell you she has a sister."

Stefan rolled his eyes. "Since when does _anybody_ take advice from Tyler?"

"True." Matt snorted.

"You're going back to the hospital after school?"

"Yeah. I don't want Vick to be alone for too long. She's still pretty groggy from the drugs, but I'd like to be there, tell her everything's okay."

Stefan nodded. "Okay. Call me, if you need anything."

"I will."

As they went their separate ways, toward class, Lexi stopped in the middle of the hall, staring curiously after Matt Donovan's retreating figure. She frowned to herself, until she heard a familiar voice down the hall. Grinning as she spotted Sarah, Lexi sauntered over to her. "Hey Pipsqueak, up for an adventure?"

Interest piqued, Sarah nodded. "Sure, where are we going?"

"The hospital. We need to pay Vicki Donovan a little visit."

"Okay…" Sarah's brow furrowed, but she shrugged. "Let me grab my bag and we can go."

"Great."

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"Hey."

Caroline looked up from the notebook she was writing in, to see Stefan standing in front of her desk. " _Hey_ …" she said, slowly.

He half-smiled. "I know that, last night, you were pretty clear, but, I didn't really get to say anything."

"I don't know how Mystic Falls operates, but generally, when a girl says no, you should take the hint."

"And usually, I would. And if you say no again, I'll completely respect your decision."

Sighing, she stared up at him, an eyebrow raised. "So what is this, you making a case for yourself?"

"Not… exactly. Look, things between me and Elena have been over for a while. It was… complicated, like you said. But over the summer, having some time away from her, I had a chance to figure out what I wanted. And what I don't want. I don't want to fight my best friend for a girl. I don't want to fight for a girl at all. That's not what a relationship should be about. What Elena and I had, it was… It was only ever at 50 percent, and that's not who I am, it's not what I want. I loved her, I won't argue that. But I only ever had half of her. And now I'm prepared to have none of her." He shook his head. "I know that this is all really heavy. We don't know each other very well and you're new here, so maybe the dynamics are a little weird, but… I _really_ like you, Caroline. And I think you could like me too. I'm not asking for a commitment. I'm just asking for a chance."

Her lips parted, but she could honestly say she had no idea what she wanted to tell him.

The bell rang then, announcing the beginning of class.

"You don't have to answer now. Just… putting it out there." He nodded then, and started down the aisle toward his desk.

Caroline turned in her seat to watch him go, her brow furrowed, and a strange feeling warming her chest.

Bonnie walked into the class then, and smiled brightly at her. "Hey." She ducked low to crouch beside Caroline's desk. "Did you get my texts? I couldn't find you last night, after everything with Vicki…?"

"Oh! God, I suck! I'm so sorry!" She shook her head. "Sarah was pretty freaked out and one of her friends offered to drive us home. I'm sorry. I should've told you."

"It's fine. It was really intense and hectic and I just got a little worried that maybe you or Lexi went into the woods and got attacked by the same thing as Vicki. So I'm really glad to see that isn't what happened."

"Oh my god, Bonnie, I didn't even think of that. You must've been so worried."

"It's okay." Bonnie grinned reassuringly. "But I know a way you could make it up to me…"

Caroline tipped her head curiously. "Name it."

"What are you doing after school?"

"Nothing, really. Why?"

"I have to fold flyers for the festival tomorrow and I was thinking of getting some lunch, hanging out at the Grill. Elena was going to come too, but I think she might go to the hospital with Matt, see how Vicki's doing."

"Sure, count me in for flyer folding."

Bonnie grinned. "Cool. I saw your sister and cousin cut out, so we can just take my car."

"You did?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I don't know where they were headed, but they left just before break ended."

"Oh." Caroline frowned to herself, wondering what her best friend and niece might be up to. She seriously hoped it wouldn't result in any more trouble. They had more than enough as it was.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"Does Aunt Caroline know you're doing this?" Sarah wondered, glancing around the busy halls of the hospital.

"She'll thank me later." Lexi shrugged, checking the numbers on the doors as she walked by.

"So…" Sarah picked up her pace so she was walking at Lexi's side. "You really think Uncle Damon did this?"

" _Uncle Damon_ ," she muttered to herself with a scoff. "Does he let you call him that?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him since I was like, eight, I think. He let me then."

"Hmm." Lexi tucked her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket. "See, the thing about Damon is… he's a vulture for chaos. And if someone else doesn't make it, he will." She shrugged. "He's always been that way, for as long as I've known him."

"How long is that?" Sarah wondered.

"I met Caroline first, in 1872. She and Damon had turned their humanity off and were on a blood binge. I got between her and her next meal, we fought it out, and… the rest is history."

"Well, that was _vague_." Sarah rolled her eyes.

Lexi snorted, but drew a deep breath as she let her mind wander back to a different time…

 _London, 1872_

 _Alexia would not call herself a glutton for punishment, and yet, here she was, following the trail of what she thought might be a pair of Rippers. What she planned to do when she found them, she had no idea. But the carnage they left in their wake was too much to be ignored. If they continued on the way they were, they would draw far too much attention to themselves and thus, put the rest of their species at risk. And so Alexia continued her trek down the cobble stone road, listening for any signs that she was about to be next on the menu. From what she could tell, they preferred brunettes, but perhaps they would make an exception for her._

 _She had been walking this same route all week, hoping to lure them out of hiding, let them think that she was naïve and vulnerable. All signs pointed to this as their hunting ground, and a body had turned up just that morning, so she could only assume they were still—_

 _It was the slurping that alerted her first, and then the soft, whimpering cry that echoed in the hollows of an alley._

 _Alexia turned, her eyes narrowed. It wasn't far from her, and there was no sign of anyone around to see her. She sped toward the alley, wary and suspicious, but intent on her plan._

 _She found one. A woman, blonde of hair, hunched over the body of a brunette, a young girl, barely sixteen by the looks of it. As the blonde raised her head, the ends of her golden hair dripped with the blood of her prey. She looked toward Alexia, her eyes a bloody black, cheeks and chin awash in blood, her teeth bared in a snarl. The dress she wore was expensive, but soiled beyond repair._

 _"You're terribly sloppy," Alexia informed her, drawing in a breath full of courage and making her way down the alley, hips swaying and heels clicking. "Leaving the bodies wherever, doing nothing to cover how they were killed, you're causing questions…"_

 _"Questions you plan to answer then?" Dropping the body, the girl stood, and Alexia paused, briefly. She wasn't much older than the girl she was feeding on. Young with round cheeks and smooth, white skin. Licking the blood from her fingers, the girl folded her hands in front of her. "Has our mischief caused you distress? That was never our intention, of course."_

 _"No? Then what was your intention?" Alexia tipped her head curiously. "How old are you?"_

 _"Should I be flattered or offended?"_

 _"That's up to you, I was merely curious how long ago you were turned… Why your maker hasn't taught you better control."_

 _She snarled then, baring her teeth. "My maker is dead, as she should be."_

 _Humming, Alexia cast a dismissive look over her and down to the body at her feet. "Then you've had no one to teach you?"_

 _"What's to be taught? We grow hungry, we feed, people die. It seems a simple concept to me."_

 _"Simple when put like that, yes. But that is not the only way to feed." Alexia continued forward then, and eyed the girl curiously. "Where's your partner?"_

 _She smiled slowly. "Where's yours?"_

 _Alexia paused. If she admitted she had none, she put herself in danger. But, truthfully, she had taken on this task alone, and hadn't, until this moment, considered that to be a mistake._

 _The girl giggled, a truly musical sound. "Perhaps there was more you still needed to learn as well."_

 _Eyes narrowed, she half-smiled. "I've had much more time to learn my lessons, Little One, and you'll soon learn that, with time comes power, and wisdom."_

 _A blur of a hand was suddenly wrapped around Alexia's throat. "Where's your wisdom now, hm?"_

 _Alexia choked, but unchained a pouch from her wrist. A vial of vervain suddenly splashed across her attacker's face, and the girl screamed, stumbling away and slamming against the wall at her back. "I think you've found it."_

 _Clawing at her face, the girl continued to cry out in pain, and Alexia rolled her eyes._

 _"It's vervain, you simpleton. You must wash it off."_

 _"Because I have so much water at my disposal," she snarled back._

 _"I'm certain you could find some."_

 _"And you would let me leave?" Opening her raw, burning eyes, the girl stared at her suspiciously. "Why?"_

 _"You're young, inexperienced, and arrogant," Alexia said calmly. "But, as much as I disapprove of your method, it's only because you don't know better… I'd thought you were a Ripper, but you're just doing what comes naturally."_

 _"What does that mean?"_

 _"It means… That if you want someone to show you a better way, I'm offering my assistance."_

 _"And why should I accept your offer?" she wondered, glaring. "You've interrupted my dinner,_ burned _me, been utterly_ rude _—"_

 _"All of which you deserved." Alexia shrugged. "The offer is there, should you want it."_

 _"You confuse me…" she admitted, carefully touching her face and wincing at the sensitive state of her skin._

 _Walking toward her, Alexia caught her by the chin, ignoring the way she whimpered in pain. "Have you turned them off? Your feelings?"_

 _Lips pursed, she asked, "So what if I have?"_

 _"It's no way to live, and trust that if you learn how better to hunt, you have a lot of life left yet."_

 _"If I turn it back on, it'll all come back. The pain, the hurt, the confusion. Why would I invite that in? What purpose would it serve?"_

 _"Yes, it will. All of it. And for a time, you will be crippled by how strong it is. How_ human _it is." Alexia stared at her squarely. "But you'll adapt, you'll grow stronger, you'll learn from it. And one day, it will be worth it."_

 _The girl simply stared back, her brow furrowed._

 _Releasing her then, Alexia took a step back and turned on her heel to walk away, her dress swishing around her._

 _"Who are you?" the girl called out, still leaning against the wall._

 _"Alexia Branson," she announced, looking back at her. "And you?"_

 _"Caroline," she said, very quietly. "Caroline Salvatore."_

"So what happened after that?" Sarah wondered.

"I gave her a few days to think over my offer and, eventually, she found me." Lexi shrugged. "She turned it back on and told me she didn't want to hurt anybody, not anymore. So I helped her. Taught her control, how to hunt, and along the way, we became friends. Best friends."

"What about Damon?"

"He wasn't ready to turn it on yet. They went their separate ways and, as far as I know, he and Caroline didn't see each other again until 1912, when their nephew was killed. They patched things up then, for a while anyway. Damon hit a rough patch with another vampire, Sage, and went on another tear. He always kind of blamed Caroline for being turned. She was an easy out. And Caroline's always felt guilty about how things happened with Damon, so she lets him get away with a lot, sacrifices herself along the way… It's a vicious cycle, one I'm really hoping she'll learn to break already. But, easier said than done, I guess."

"Why?"

"Because. He's family. And even if he is a complete _asshole_ , he's still her brother, and she loves him." She rolled her eyes. "Of course, he doesn't deserve it, but… She'll never give up on him, and he knows it." She paused then, eyed the numbers on a room door, and grinned. "Bingo." Walking inside, she raised an eyebrow at finding Vicki Donovan standing in her room, staring blankly at nothing. "Sarah?"

"Yeah?"

"Close the door."

Sarah looked from Lexi to Vicki, and then stepped back and closed the hospital room door.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"So, I was talking to my Grams, and she said the comet was a sign of impending doom. The last time it passed over Mystic Falls, there was lots of death. So much blood and carnage, it created a bed of paranormal activity."

Caroline's brows hiked. "Your grandmother sounds like quite the character…"

"Yeah. Well, she just really gets into this kind of stuff, I guess. I mean, she based her whole career around it, so I get it. But still." Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Anyway, according to her I'm supposed to be some kind of witch." Her nose wrinkled. "I don't know about you, but personally, I'm not sure I could rock the warts and broom."

Shaking her head, Caroline laughed. "So you've never felt like you had magical powers?" she teased, watching her carefully.

"Not really. I mean, sometimes I get a weird feeling, like déjà vu or something, but, whatever." She shrugged. "Honestly, I think Grams is going a little stir crazy. She's been stuck in Mystic Falls most of her life."

"Doesn't she teach at Whitmore?"

"Yeah, but it's not that far away. Different county, but basically all the same, you know?" She sighed, fiddling with the flyer in her hands. "I think anybody who stays here too long is bound to end up a little crazy."

"I guess you're planning to get out as soon as possible then?"

"I'd like to. Maybe go traveling somewhere, see the world. I've always wanted to go to Italy."

"You should. It's nice," Caroline encouraged.

"You've been?"

"Uh, yeah." Caroline shifted in her seat. "My brother actually has a villa there."

"A _villa?_ " Bonnie's eyes bugged. "I mean, I knew you had money, because, well, _your clothes_. But, just how loaded are you guys?" She paused. "Wait, sorry, that was _so_ …"

"It's fine. My family comes from money, and my brother made a small fortune all his own. He was smart and invested it in a few pretty huge start-ups. Anyway, our family is Italian, and I guess he likes to return to our roots sometimes."

"Wow. It'd be so cool to think I had a villa in Italy I could just visit whenever I wanted." Shaking her head, Bonnie added another flyer to the pile and started a new one.

"So, your Grams, she lives here in town then?"

"Yeah. Like a five-minute drive from my house. I used to walk there after school when I was little and my dad was at work. She's always been there."

"You know, this occult stuff is actually kind of cool. I'd love to talk to her about it sometime. Who knows, maybe I'll take her class next year."

"You think you'll go to Whitmore?"

Caroline shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"

"Most of us go because it's easy, it's close to home, and we don't exactly have the money to go anywhere else. But… You can. So why stay around here? If I were you, I'd be on the next flight to Italy as soon as they handed me my diploma."

With a faint smile, she said, "You know, eventually you get tired of traveling and just want to settle down somewhere."

"I'll have to see it to believe it," Bonnie decided.

"Well, maybe at the end of the year, after graduation, we could do something. Go traveling somewhere." Caroline shrugged. "Italy isn't the only place my family has property. There's a condo in New York, an apartment in Paris, a beach house in Costa Rica…"

"I don't know… The airfare alone would probably put my dad in the red. He'd never go for it." Bonnie shook her head. "And besides, I should be saving for college, that's what he always says."

"So it'll be on me. Come on, it'll be fun. And it's not like I can't afford it."

Bonnie stared at her, her brows hiked. "You're serious?"

"Sure. I like you, Bonnie. You're fun, and you were the first person I've met here that I really consider a friend." She nodded. "So, come traveling with me! _Seriously_."

Bonnie blinked, shaking her head slowly. "You're serious?"

"I just said I was." Caroline laughed.

"Okay. If, at the end of the year, you still feel the same way… then _yes_ , I will totally join you in Italy or Paris or Costa Rica… Or anywhere outside of Mystic Falls, really. You could drive me across the border into _Kentucky_ and I'd be happy." She paused. "Well, maybe not Kentucky…"

Grinning, Caroline nodded. "Deal."

It was a spontaneous suggestion, one Caroline could chalk up to gaining Bonnie's trust, but for just a moment, she actually thought it might really be fun. She liked Bonnie, she really did. It was too bad that friendship was not something she had the time to really focus on.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Stefan leaned hard against the shopping cart as he pushed it down the aisle. A buzz from his jacket pocket caught his attention as he stopped in the freezer aisle, in front of the frozen pizzas. Digging out his phone, he thumbed through to his messages and a few from Eddy.

 _—I found a recipe for tacos!_

 _—All we need is cheese lettuce shells hamburger n tomatoes_

 _—N sour cream_

 _—Also tater tots!_

Grinning, he shook his head and texted back— _Fine. Anything else?_

He started down the aisle, eyeing the shelves for tater tots. He was pulling a bag down when his phone buzzed. Swiping his phone open, he stared down at the screen.

A whistle interrupted his concentration. "Think you can pass another bag this way, brother?"

Stefan looked over and found a smirking man, dressed in all black, nodding his chin toward the freezer.

"Oh, uh, yeah, sorry." Grabbing a second bag of tater tots, he passed it over.

"No worries." He glanced at his phone. "Girlfriend?"

"Uh, _no_. Sister, actually."

He nodded knowingly. "Yeah, I know that feeling." He held the bag up. "She loves these things."

Stefan half-smiled. "I'm pretty sure Eddy would eat tater tots with anything."

"Yeah, Lexi's the same. Anything with fried potato is her bag. Caroline's a little more healthy. Every once in a while, I see her eat a salad."

Stefan's brows hiked and he stood a little straighter. "You… You're Caroline's brother? Caroline Salvatore?"

"Yeah." His brow furrowed. "You know her?"

"Uh, yeah, we go to the same school." Stefan nodded. "So you're…?"

"Damon Salvatore," he introduced himself, holding a hand out for Stefan to shake.

Stefan took it, shaking it briskly. "I thought… Caroline said she hadn't seen you in a while."

"Yeah, well, since she and Lexi are here staying with our uncle, I thought I'd drop in, check up on them."

"That's nice. The way she talked about you, it sounded like she really missed you."

Damon half-smiled. "The feeling's mutual."

Stefan's phone buzzed again, and he glanced down at it.

"I'll let you get back to it. I know how impatient sisters are." With a wink, Damon walked off, and Stefan stared after him thoughtfully. When his phone demanded attention yet again, he snorted, and looked down to see Eddy's myriad of texts asking for snacks and soda and to pick up a bag of cat food for the stray she'd been looking after.

Impatient, yeah, he could admit that, but also worth it.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"Where have you two been?" Caroline asked, meeting them at the door.

Sarah looked to Lexi, who rolled her eyes. "Cleaning up a mess." She shrugged. "As far as Vicki Donovan knows, she was attacked by an animal. No vampires and no Damon."

Caroline looked to Sarah and then back to Lexi. "And you needed my niece, because…?"

"I needed directions, and I knew you wouldn't skip out of school, so I thought Sarah could tag along. It's _one_ day. She hardly missed anything."

"Bonnie said you left a while ago. Where have you been since?"

"Geez, _mom_ , we were just hanging out. We picked up some lunch and window shopped for a while. Where'd you get to?"

"Bonnie and I folded flyers for the festival tomorrow and I talked to her some more about her grandmother. She lives here in town. I asked Bonnie if she'd introduce us and she said she would." Turning on her heel, Caroline walked toward the kitchen. "I made dinner. Zach and Gail went out; it's date night."

" _Ooh!_ What's for dinner?" Lexi wondered, following after her and stripping her jacket off.

"Pasta," she answered. "If you and Sarah want to wash up, you can put the salad together."

Saluting her cheekily, Lexi turning down the hall leading to the bathroom, but Sarah lingered in the kitchen doorway, watching as Caroline circled around to the pot of boiling, homemade noodles.

"You okay?" she wondered, eyeing her niece. "You look upset."

"Not upset. Just… confused, I guess." She frowned, fiddling with her fingers. "The way dad talks about it, Damon's always kind of been a loose cannon. I never really thought of him like that. I mean, when I was eight, he just kind of showed up, hung out, bought me my first camera. It was… _nice_."

Caroline nodded, and then grabbed an oven mitt to check on the garlic bread baking in the oven. "Damon's not all bad, he just… It's hard to explain, but, when a vampire has their emotions turned off, they lose what makes them hesitate. There's no conscience, nothing to tell them what's right or wrong or to guide them so they don't do something they'll regret. And the longer they leave it off, the harder it is to turn back on."

"So, you can get stuck like that?"

"No, it's more like… You're aware of what you did, even if you don't really care. So you know, _logically_ , that if you turn it back on, it's all going to come flooding back. And sometimes it's easier not to face it."

"So why does he turn it off?" she wondered. "What's he running from?"

Caroline closed the oven door and paused a moment, tugging the mitt from her hand. "Before we died, Damon was in love. Or, he thought he was. Maybe he really was, I don't know." She shook her head. "Anyway. He loved a girl named Katherine and… she died. Actually, we were killed trying to save her." She turned from the stove to face Sarah and offered a faint smile. "Damon's never really forgiven himself for not saving her. He was convinced that he should just die. That there was nothing left for him without her."

Sarah's brow furrowed. "But he turned."

"Yeah, he did. Because I made him." She tightened her hands into fists and walked to the island. "I was selfish and I couldn't live out my whole life without him. I wasn't ready to die, so I made sure he wouldn't…"

"But, it's been like, a hundred and fifty years…" She shook her head. "I know it takes time to grieve, but…"

"You didn't know Katherine. She inspired a kind of… _obsession_." Caroline busied herself pulling out a salad bowl and tongs before she moved to the fridge and took out the romaine lettuce. Traveling to the sink, she started rinsing it off. "The Damon you remember, who was sweet and funny and who gave you that camera, that's who he really is. The person he turns into without his humanity, that's him forgetting everything he really loves and cares about." She sighed, shaking her head. "The thing is, he's both. We all are."

"Is he dangerous?"

Caroline rung out the lettuce and brought it over to the cutting board. "Everyone is dangerous," she hedged. "But for right now, just… stay away from him. Don't go anywhere alone. Always keep your necklace on. Take your vervain. And… Just, be cautious."

Sarah stared at her a long moment, and then nodded. "Okay."

"Okay." Caroline smiled gently. "Go wash up. Dinner's almost ready."

Nodding, she turned on her heel to leave.

Caroline listened to her retreating footsteps and then picked up the knife to begin cutting the lettuce. "I know you're here… _Eavesdropping_."

Damon stepped out from the doorway leading to the cellar. "Was that whole thing just for me? Should I be flattered?"

"What are you doing here?" she asked, adding the lettuce to the bowl.

"I'm not invited to dinner?" He pressed a hand to his chest in mock offense. " _Rude_."

"Damon…" She shook her head, exasperated. "Why'd you come here? Is it because of Elena? Because she looks like Katherine."

He snorted. " _That_ knock-off? No, thanks."

"Then why?"

"My little sister was acting suspicious. Ignoring my phone calls, her luggage was missing from her apartment, I got curious."

"Whenever I called, you said I was interrupting your fun and to leave you alone."

"That was before you went on your little stalking trip." He stared at her searchingly. "What are you expecting to find here?"

"Answers." She tossed the salad, mixing the Caesar dressing into it. "That's all I want. And then I'll leave."

"You sure? Because it feels a little like you're setting down roots…"

She frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Befriending the fledgling witch, flirting with the Sheriff's son. He's nice, by the way. We bumped into each other at the store." He held up a bag for her to see. "I guess tater tots doesn't really go with dinner, huh?" He shrugged, and put them away in the fridge's freezer.

Caroline's eyes narrowed at him. "Stay away from Stefan. _And_ Bonnie. They have nothing to do with this."

"Hey, I played nice." He held his hands up in surrender. "I haven't touched one hair on your little friends' heads."

"No, but you nearly killed Vicki Donovan. You _did_ kill those people on the road, _and_ the campers."

"I'm a vampire; killing is a given."

" _No_ , it's not." She shoved the salad bowl away irritably and moved back toward the oven to pull out the garlic bread. "You don't have to be like this. You don't have to _hurt_ people. Why can't you just—"

"Be like you?" He scoffed. "The angel to her brother's devil."

"Not like me." She rolled her eyes. "Like _you_. Like who you are when you have your humanity." Sighing, she put the bread down and pulled the oven mitts off, laying them aside on the counter. "You forget that I know you. I knew you before you turned and I knew you after. I was there through all of it, Damon."

"Not _all_ of it. I remember a few years when you were _conveniently_ absent."

Lifting her chin, she stared at him. "You want me to apologize for not knowing you'd been kidnapped by Augustine? Huh? _Again_."

He stared back at her, his expression neutral. "Couldn't hurt."

She nodded, her mouth folded. "I'm _sorry_. I'm sorry that I hadn't seen you in over a decade, and the last time I did, you were tearing someone's throat out. I'm sorry I wasn't _surprised_ that what was supposed to be a family reunion ended with you killing our nephew and leaving. I'm _sorry_ that I didn't somehow _know_ that some super-secret society had taken you, Damon. Because if I had, I would've come for you. _Okay?_ Is that what you wanted to hear?" She circled the island to walk toward him. "I would've hunted them down and torn them to shreds for what they did to you. But I didn't _know_. I had no _idea_ what you were going through." She tossed her hands up. "But I tried to be there, I tried to help you after, and you wouldn't _let_ me. So I'm sorry, I really am, but there is _nothing_ I can do to fix it."

He stared down at her, her chest heaving and her face flushed. "No. There isn't."

Caroline felt it like a stab to the heart, and she took a step back, blinking back the burn of her eyes. Smoothing a hand down her shirt, she turned and walked back to the stove to take the pot of noodles to the sink, where the strainer sat. "Dinner's almost ready. If you're eating, you should wash up."

A low, scoffing laugh answered her. "There's the sister I know. Always trying to avoid the hard stuff by busying herself with something else."

"You're one to talk. Always shutting off his emotions when the hard stuff gets too difficult to deal with." She turned to face him, but the room was empty, and her shoulders slumped, defeated.

"Guess the salad's done," Lexi said, stepping into the room then.

"Yeah." Caroline turned back to the noodles. "Can you set the table?"

"Sure." Lexi paused by the drawer as she gathered the cutlery. "Are you okay?"

"You heard all that?"

"Hard not to."

Caroline nodded, biting her lip as she tipped the pot back, keeping some of the water in it to be added to her sauce. "I'm fine."

Lexi didn't reply, simply staring at her, back against the counter. Caroline turned to her, a faint smile pulling at her mouth.

"I _will_ be."

Lexi lingered a moment longer, searching her face, and then she nodded. Walking to her, Lexi leaned over, pressing a kiss to the top of Caroline's head. "Sure, you will. You're tough, remember?"

Her laugh was short and quiet. "The toughest."

Lexi gathered up everything then and made her way to the dining room. Caroline moved to her sauce, took a deep breath, and poured the leftover water into it, giving it a stir.

 _'It will help add flavor,' Damon told her, steadying her as she stood atop the foot stool in front of the stove. 'And this way, the sauce will thicken.'_

 _'Do you think mother will like it?' she wondered, stirring the sauce as she tipped her head back to see him._

 _'Of course she will.' He grinned down at her. 'This will be the greatest pasta she has ever eaten.'_

 _Caroline smiled toothily. 'Because of us.'_

 _'Because of us,' he agreed._

Caroline swiped a tear from her cheek with the back of her hand, cleared her throat, and drew a deep breath. Shaking it off, she got back to business. The past was the past. There was nothing she could do to change it. But the present… The present would be different. She would make certain of it.

[ **next** : chapter six]

* * *

 **author's note:** _i was totally going to update this earlier, except i went in for dental surgery on tuesday and i've been a walking migraine ever since. the pain's beginning to recede, thankfully, so i was able to get this edited and updated. yay! i love all the lady friendships happening in this story, which was a big part of why i wanted to write it. there's a lot more focus placed on the women as i'm writing this; their friendships and relationships and thoughts and feelings are meant to be at the center of it all. that said, i do really enjoy writing caroline and damon's sibling dynamic. there's a lot of love and resentment there that's going to be fun to delve deeper into. :)_

 _thanks for reading! please try to leave a review!_

 **\- lee | fina**


	6. comet

**chapter rating** : pg-13/teen  
 **word count** : 6,574

* * *

 **-6-**

"Eddy? You ready?"

"Co- _ming!_ " she shouted back.

Stefan leaned back against the door, hands tucked in the pockets of his jeans, fiddling with the keys of his car. "We're going to be late…"

"It's a _festival!_ " She came around the corner from her room, readjusting the straps of her backpack on her shoulders. "You can't be _late_ for a festival." Rolling her eyes, she walked toward him. "I want popcorn. _Ooh_ , and a hot dog!"

"Uh-huh." He pushed off the door and pulled it open. "How late did mom say you could stay out?"

"As long as you'll let me." She grinned up at him, her head tipped back. "You're _stuck_ with me."

Amused, he tugged on one of braids. "I'll cope."

Walking forward, she hopped off the top stair of the porch and ran toward his car. "Shot gun!"

Shaking his head, he smiled to himself, and followed after her.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"You're going to the festival?"

Caroline turned to see Zach standing in his office, leaning back to sit against the edge of his desk. "We are. Sarah asked for a ride, so she's tagging along with Lexi and me. I'll keep an eye on her."

"Caroline…" He stared at her, arms crossed over his chest. "Why is Damon here?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. You know how he is, sometimes he just likes to show up."

His head tipped thoughtfully. "Is he the one that's been killing people?"

"No," she said without pause. "I think there's another vampire in town."

"Really? A _fourth_ vampire?" He raised an unconvinced eyebrow.

"If you haven't noticed, we're pretty good at blending in." She turned to face him better, hands on her hips. "I can handle my brother, Zach, and I will."

"His being here is dangerous, it puts everyone at risk. The girl in the hospital, how sure are we that she won't talk?"

"Lexi already visited her, just to be sure. According to Vicki Donovan, she was attacked by an animal. Not _everything_ can be chalked up to vampires."

"You're sure?" He frowned. "Because I'm taking a big risk here, Caroline. You being here is one thing. I was willing to let Lexi stay because she's like you, _controlled_. But Damon is a risk I'm not sure I can take."

"Whatever Damon does, I'll take care of it." Glancing over his shoulder at the clock perched on one of his bookshelves, she frowned. "I need to go. Sarah's helping with the apple bobbing station and her shift starts soon."

"Okay. But… We still need to talk about this."

"I've spent a hundred and forty-five years keeping Damon in check," she told him, "Trust me, I can handle it." With that, she walked to the door and swung it open.

Shaking off her irritation, Caroline made her way to her car, where Sarah and Lexi were already waiting, leaning against the doors and talking.

"Come on, we're running late," Caroline said, circling around to the driver's seat.

Both girls hopped inside and Caroline took her frustration out driving into town at a speed most humans would feel nervous about. While Lexi didn't so much as blink, Sarah was a little skittish.

"I've never been carsick, but you might change that," Sarah muttered.

Glancing at the speedometer, Caroline pursed her lips but lowered her speed. "You have everything you need? We don't need to pick anything up?"

Sarah shook her head. "I just need to take over for Kara. She's got a school thing she has to work on and asked me to keep an eye on things. As long as nobody drowns, I'd call it a job well done."

Lexi half-smiled. "That's the spirit."

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"Hey, stranger."

Stefan pivoted, grinning as Bonnie walked toward him. "Hey. You get all those flyers handed out?"

She rolled her eyes. " _Yes_. I had help from Elena." She cast her eyes around and shrugged. "No idea where she wandered off to though."

"Well, you're free to join us if you want." He looked back to Eddy, who was half-finished her hot dog already, and wearing all too much of the mustard she'd dressed it with. "Right, Ed?"

"Sure. I like having someone around to help make fun of you," Eddy agreed, shrugging.

Bonnie laughed. "Well, as long as I'm wanted." She sidled up to Eddy's opposite side. "You excited for the comet?"

"I don't see what the big deal is. I'm pretty sure we just take every chance we can get to throw a party."

"You're not wrong. Gives us an excuse to dress up and eat junk food." She smiled politely at Carol Lockwood as they passed her by. "Or to break into the family vault and take out all the nice jewelry."

Stefan snorted. "I knew I was missing something. A diamond necklace would really pull this outfit together."

Bonnie nodded agreeably. "Or some nice stud earrings."

Eddy's nose scrunched up. "I remember your punk phase. You didn't pull off earrings then, you won't now." Lighting up, she pointed at the popcorn stand and grabbed Stefan's hand. "But I'll let you borrow mine if you buy me popcorn."

"Who could turn down a deal like that?" he joked, and let her drag him along to the popcorn stand.

Bonnie laughed, and followed after them, crossing her arms over her chest.

A sudden shiver ran down her spine though, and her head swiveled, searching out the source. Through the crowd, she spotted a man, dressed head to toe in black. A fashion faux pas if ever she saw one. But his eyes… She'd never seen eyes that shade of blue before.

He stared back at her, a dark eyebrow arched, and Bonnie felt a pull at her navel, a _draw_ , that had her taking a step forward. Her knees wobbled underneath her. And then she blinked, and the man was gone, leaving her to stand bewildered and confused.

"Bonnie?"

She turned at Stefan's voice.

He motioned back to the popcorn stand curiously. "You want a bag?"

Swallowing tightly, she mustered a smile, and hurried toward him, eager to find comfort in the familiar.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"I'm not complaining, but I don't need a bodyguard," Sarah assured her, sitting back in a chair with her legs crossed at the knee and a book in her lap. "I hardly think anybody's going to attack me at the apple bobbing station."

Caroline smiled. "You never know. We're a strange bunch."

"Most of the people that were attacked were in the woods. Isn't this a little too public for an afternoon snack?"

"Probably… Unless you want to make a statement." She sighed, shaking her head. "I'm crowding you, I know that. I'm just…"

"Worried." Sarah shrugged. "It's okay. It's not like I'm really doing much. I was just going to read my book and make nice with the kids that try their hand at this seriously outdated game." She grinned. "It's fine if you want to walk around, see the rest of the festival. I'm only here for a couple hours. I'll call if anything seems weird and I'll come find you when I'm done."

Caroline nodded. "Right. Good plan." She lingered.

"But…?"

"Lexi already ditched me and I have no idea what to do," she admitted with a frown.

Sarah laughed under her breath. "There's some tables set up selling hand-made jewelry I think you'd like." Standing from her seat, Sarah walked toward her and pointed out where it was. "If you wanna pick me out some nice earrings or a bracelet, I won't turn them down."

Smiling lightly, Caroline took a deep breath. "Okay." She took a few steps away. "You'll call though, even if someone just seems a little weird. If they stare too long or ask you any weird questions or — _oh!_ — if any crows get particularly close!"

Blinking at her, Sarah nodded. "Sure." She waved her off. "Now go, have fun."

Caroline turned on her heel and walked away, and Sarah just shook her head, taking her seat again. She was happy to return to the sci-fi world she'd been reading about and leave all the strangeness of reality for a bit.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"Hey."

Lexi turned, frowning when she didn't see anyone, and then looked down, to see a familiar face smirking up at her. "Well, if isn't our future sheriff. Where's your deputy at?"

Eddy shrugged. "I ditched him at the popcorn stand. Him and Bonnie were talking about English class or something."

"Oh yeah? You don't think he'll send a search party out for you."

"I've got a phone. He'll call when he notices." Shrugging, she tucked her thumbs into the straps of her backpack. "Where's your sister?"

"I ditched her and Sarah when I saw the candied apple stand." Lexi put a hand on her hip. "You wanna help me find her?"

"Sure." Turning on her heel, she started toward where she last saw the apple cart. "So… You and Caroline are twins, right?"

"Yup. Fraternal twins."

"What's that?"

"It means we're not identical."

"Oh. I guess that's good, or Stefan would probably get confused."

"Oh yeah?" Lexi smiled. "I'm pretty sure our personalities would clear things up for him."

"Yeah. I guess that makes sense." Eddy peered up at her thoughtfully. "So is it true that twins can read each other's minds?"

"Nah, we got a raw deal. No mind-reading powers at all."

"That sucks," she decided, frowning.

"Why? Is there something you were hoping I'd find in there? I bet I can tell you what she's thinking even without reading her mind."

"Really…?" Eddy looked away, chewing her lip for a moment, and then seemed to come to a conclusion. "Do you think… Does Caroline like Stefan?"

Lexi's brows hiked, but she'd been expecting a question like that. She wasn't blind to how Stefan's eyes lingered on her best friend, nor was she blind to how Caroline's gaze wandered in his direction, whether she wanted it to or not. "I think… Caroline is _very_ stubborn." She nodded. "And not very good at admitting when she likes someone."

" _Why?_ "

"Well, she's been hurt before, and I think she's scared of being hurt again." She shrugged. "That happens sometimes. You meet someone you like, you fall in love, and it doesn't work out. Sometimes you hold on too long and everything falls apart. Before you know it, someone you love is someone you hate."

"Yeah…" Eddy frowned. "That's what happened to my parents."

Lexi smiled down at her sympathetically. "Sorry, Sheriff."

"It's okay. Dad's happy with his boyfriend now and mom… Well, mom works a lot. But… She doesn't cry herself to sleep anymore, so I guess that's something."

A pang hit Lexi's heart hard. Reaching over, she squeezed Eddy's shoulder. "It gets better; it just takes time."

"Yeah, I know. Mom will get over it eventually. Anyway, just because someone else hurt Caroline doesn't mean Stefan will. He's a good guy. He'd never break her heart."

"Not sure that's how it goes. Sometimes you don't mean to hurt someone and it happens anyway."

"But how does she know that will happen if she doesn't give him a chance?" she wondered, sounding frustrated and exasperated with the romantic complications in front of her.

"Good question. Why don't we ask her?" Lexi nodded her chin forward, and Eddy turned to see Caroline looking at a collection of jewelry laid out on a table. Walking toward her was Stefan, who seemed to be gathering his courage. "You think we should help him?"

Eddy watched a moment. "Let's see what he does first. If he messes up, then we'll go in."

Lexi snorted a laugh. "Smart plan."

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"Caroline."

She paused, recognizing the voice, and turned slowly. "Stefan… _hey_."

"Hey." He smiled at her, wiping his hands on his jeans. "So, first festival."

"Here, yeah. I've been to a few before." Her lips twitched. "It's a good turn out." She cast her eyes over the town square, filled with crowds of people. "I _did_ see a fight break out by the cotton candy stand though, so you might have to call your mom in if the crowd gets any more wild."

He ducked his head as he laughed. "Yeah, cotton candy is usually the reason behind a lot of fights around here."

Caroline smiled. "Well, according to Bonnie the comet is supposed to be a harbinger of death, so… Keep your eyes peeled."

"I will." He nodded, chewing his lip. "I, uh, I saw your cousin over at the apple bobbing station."

"Yeah, she's filling in for someone. You should give it a try, so far there have been exactly _zero_ drownings."

He licked his lips as he smiled. "Good odds."

"Definitely. And I have it on good authority that Sarah took at least _half_ of a CPR course."

"Half? I guess that's better than nothing."

She giggled. "Yeah."

He stared at her searchingly a moment. "I'm being weird and nervous again, sorry."

"It's fine." She shook her head. "I hardly noticed."

"Do— Do you wanna get something to eat?" he asked, pointing toward Mystic Grill. "Or a drink. Or… just sit at the same table as me. I'm not picky."

Caroline grinned, and reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear. It was a bad idea. _Terrible_ , even. Her brother knew about him, even knew she liked him. But… He was nice, and sweet, and funny, and… _really_ handsome. So maybe it was a mistake, a giant glaring mistake, but… "Sure. I'd like that."

"Great," he said, letting out a relieved breath. "Uh…" He waved for her to take the lead and then moved to walk with her. "So, same table or are we getting a menu?"

She chuckled. "I could eat."

"Good. It was going to be awkward if I ordered and you didn't."

Smiling up at him, she shook her head.

"What?" he asked, looking down at her.

"Nothing. Just… _You_."

"What about me?"

"I don't know." She looked away. "But I like it."

"Good. Then I hope I keep it up."

Caroline smiled to herself, and hoped she wouldn't regret it later.

Watching them go, Eddy fist-pumped.

Lexi laughed. "Hey, how do you feel about bobbing for apples? My cousin promises she won't let you drowned if you wanna try it."

Interested, Eddy nodded. "Cool."

Together, they walked off to find Sarah.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Damon was, essentially, _lurking_. The high energy of the festival wasn't really his kind of thing, but he knew his sister was playing nice with the townsfolk. Across the field, he could see Elena Gilbert and Bonnie Bennett walking together. She was a curious little thing; her resemblance to Katherine was absolute. Of course, he already knew that, having bumped into her four months earlier, not that she would remember. He'd wiped that memory clean. But as much as Elena might resemble Katherine physically, she was far from the real deal. Where Katherine was coquettish and sly, eager to stand out and be adored for it, Elena seemed comfortable blending in, unaware of the affect she had on people. Damon couldn't see the point in it. Katherine's face and body was _wasted_ on the Gilbert girl.

His gaze diverted to her left, to Bonnie Bennett. Now she was delectable. If he wasn't fairly sure she was descended from witches, and would invite her family's wrath all over his person, he would happily see just how good she tasted.

It would serve his sister right, too. Stealing her way back home, ignoring him when he called, playing team captain to her and Lexi's Scooby squad. He sneered at that. What was the _point?_ So what, Elena looked like Katherine. The real Katherine was gone. A sacrifice to a lost cause.

The least he could do, however, was honor her memory. And what better way to do that than to bring a little chaos home to Mystic Falls?

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"Damon said he bumped into you at the store." Caroline cut her chicken burger in half with the offered knife. "Something about tater tots…?"

"Yeah." Stefan nodded. "Eddy's a fan, he said Lexi was too."

"Lexi does love all things fried potato," she mused.

He snorted. "That's pretty much exactly what Damon said."

"Ah. Well, siblings, right?" She looked down at her plate, and grabbed up a fry to dab in her ketchup. "Is Eddy here tonight?"

"She—" His eyes widened and he suddenly reached for his pocket, digging out his phone. "Sorry. I— We came together and then we kind of got separated. I was looking for her when I saw you and…" He shook his head, dialing her number and holding the phone up to his ear. "Pick up, pick up," he muttered under his breath.

" _Eddy's Apple Emporium, you keep what you bob._ "

Letting out a sigh of relief, Stefan's eyes closed. "Ed, where are you?"

"Hanging out with Lexi and Sarah," she said nonchalantly. "Since Caroline didn't totally reject you, me and Lexi are hanging out. I bobbed _six_ apples. _Six!_ And Sarah says she has a friend at the candied apple station that will dip them in caramel and sprinkles if I want."

Rubbing a hand over his forehead, he said, "Okay, just… Don't wander off. And don't eat too much sugar. You have school tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah. Get back to your date. Girls don't like to be ignored."

Before he could reply, the dial tone answered him, and he shook his head. Hanging up, he tucked his phone back in his jacket. "Sorry."

"She's okay?"

"Yeah." His brow furrowed. "Uh, she's with your sister, actually."

Caroline hummed. "Yeah, Lexi has a way of attracting people to her, like moths to a flame." She shrugged. "Eddy will be fine. Lexi's surprisingly responsible and Sarah's got a good head on her shoulders."

"Yeah, I'm not too worried. Eddy's smart. She'll stick close by."

Popping another fry in her mouth, she asked, "She wasn't worried when she couldn't find you?"

"She knew where I was. She saw us come in here." He cleared his throat and ducked his eyes as he felt his cheeks warm up. "How's your burger?"

Humming appreciatively, she nodded. "It's good. I tried their pasta the other day, definitely not one of my favorites, but they make a _great_ burger."

"No? I kind of like their pasta."

Caroline scoffed, shaking her head. "Trust me, you haven't had pasta until you've had _my_ pasta. I make the noodles and sauce myself," she boasted, grinning.

"Is that an invitation?" he asked, looking hopeful.

"Uh…" Her brows raised a little. After a beat though, she seemed to warm up to the idea. "Sure. Maybe you and Eddy could come over for dinner sometime. My uncle does a lot of the cooking, but Wednesdays are his and Aunt Gail's date night, so…"

"I'd like that. _We_ 'd like that." He nodded, picking at the salad on his plate.

Caroline's gaze fell to his wrist. "That's a nice bracelet."

Stefan looked down at it; a braided leather band with a silver piece in the center. "Yeah. A gift from my dad."

"Do you ever talk to him?" she wondered.

"No. Not really. He calls, but… I usually just hand the phone to Eddy." He half-smiled, shrugging. "It's fine. I just… I don't know. I guess I'm not ready to talk to him yet."

"I get it. It can be hard." She looked away for a moment, hesitated, and then admitted, "My dad wasn't exactly the easiest person to get along with… He was actually pretty awful. It was a little better when my mom was alive, but… After she died, it was like nothing we did was enough… Damon got the worst of it, I think. I tried to be what he wanted, to be perfect, and sometimes he believed it. But, with Damon…" She shook her head. "Nothing he ever did was enough, not for him."

Stefan stared at her, her eyes distant and her lips turned down. He reached for her, a hand settling on her wrist gently. "I'm sorry."

Blinking back into the moment, she swallowed tightly. "It's fine. Sorry. I made that about me… Were you close to your dad, before?"

He didn't answer right away, wondering if maybe he should urge her to continue telling her story, but she seemed eager to leave the topic alone, so he relented. "Yeah, we were. We used to go on these big fishing trips every year, just me and him. Matt too, when he was allowed… He and my mom fought a lot, but they were always good parents. Dad was easy to talk to, supportive, just… always there, I guess." A muscle ticked in his jaw. "Until he wasn't."

"Do you miss him?"

Stefan looked up and met her eyes. He considered the question, before admitting quite honestly, "Yeah, I do. A lot, actually."

She nodded. "Well, maybe next time he calls, you could try talking to him. It's a place to start, right?"

His mouth ticked up faintly. "Yeah. Maybe I will."

Smiling, Caroline grabbed up another fry. "So, now that all the depressing stuff is out of the way, why don't we talk about something else?"

"That sounds great… You first."

She laughed. "Well, I'm new in town, so I'm afraid you know more about anything good happening around here."

"Ah, well…" His brow furrowed thoughtfully. "We've got a football game Saturday night."

Her eyes widened. "You play?"

"I do. Wide-receiver for the Mystic Falls Timberwolves." His brows raised with feigned school spirit. "I joined the team with Matt and Tyler. We played little league together and my dad thought it would look good on my college applications if I was on a sports team, so…"

"So, go Timberwolves." She grinned. "Well, I'll have to come see you play then."

"Yeah?"

"Sure. Maybe if Eddy wants to, she can sit with us. Unless your mom's going to be there."

"I doubt it. She's usually working. But I'm sure Eddy would like that. I'll ask her."

"Okay. So I guess my Saturday night is booked then."

Stefan grinned. "I guess so."

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Night was falling and Bonnie had, once again, lost sight of Elena. She was tempted to text Matt and see if maybe he knew where she wandered off to, but decided against it. So far as she could tell, Elena hadn't made progress with either of her former boyfriends, and, much as Elena might not like it, Bonnie was glad. She loved her best friend, she really did, but Elena's relationships with both Matt and Stefan ended up hurting them and their friendship a lot more than any relationship should. Stefan seemed happier now that he'd officially let go of Elena, and while Matt was struggling with everything that happened with Vicki, he seemed to be finding his feet again. She just hoped nothing happened to interrupt that.

She wasn't watching where she was going, still keeping an eye out for her elusive friend, when she managed to walk right into someone. Letting out a little cry of surprise, she put her hands up to steady herself, and pushed off the unforgiving chest in front of her to stumble back.

"Whoa. You all right?"

"Yeah, fine, I'm sorry, that was totally…" She trailed off as she looked up, caught in the turbulent blue gaze in front of her. "My fault," she murmured absently.

He grinned down at her. "I think we can take mutual responsibility."

Bonnie let out an awkward laugh, feeling a little faint, and that strange pull in her stomach _tugged_. She frowned, dragging a hand down her stomach and willing the sensation away. "Uh, anyway. _Sorry_." She turned on her heel to leave, but paused as he called out.

"Hey, not to make this extra weird, but… I'm looking for someone. Two someones actually. Blonde, pretty, one looks like flowers and sunshine and the other one looks like she might've joined a biker gang recently."

Bonnie blinked. "Uh… Caroline and Lexi?"

His brows hiked as he nodded. " _Yes!_ You know them?"

"I _do_ …" She cocked her head curiously. "How do _you_ know them?"

"Well, I was the primary owie kisser and tear wiper for most of their formative years… and some of their later years." He shrugged, scrunching his nose up. "Caroline was a gangly pre-teen. She tripped a lot."

"You're their brother!" she realized.

"Damon Salvatore, at your service." He quirked his head. "They've talked about me? Good things I hope."

"Not a lot," she admitted. "Actually, Caroline's only really mentioned a villa in Italy…" And a butt-load of money, but she didn't think that was pertinent to mention.

He rolled his eyes. "Right. Who doesn't think of real estate when talking about their handsome, charming, _delightful_ older brother..."

Bonnie snorted. "And obviously very humble, too."

He grinned. "The humblest."

Shaking her head, she said, "Anyway, last I saw of Caroline she was flirting with Stefan over dinner. And Lexi was hanging out with Sarah and Eddy over by the cotton candy machine." She pointed a thumb over her shoulder. "If I see them, I'll let them know you're looking for them."

"Appreciate it. Thanks… Uh, I didn't catch your name."

"Bonnie Bennett," she told him. "And you're welcome."

Turning on her heel, she started walking; she managed a good ten feet before curiosity got the better of her and she looked back.

He was staring after her, grinning, and raised his hand to wiggle his fingers in farewell.

Bonnie would forever deny that she blushed, but at the heat filling her cheeks, she swiftly turned back around. Hurrying away, she muttered under her breath, "Yeah, right. Grams would kill me for even _thinking_ about it…"

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"I'm starting to regret this whole 'letting minors play with fire' thing," Lexi said, watching Eddy wave her candle around haphazardly.

Eddy rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to burn anybody."

"I'm more worried you'll set yourself on fire," she admitted, but then shrugged. "Keep the flame upright."

"Boring," she sighed, but listened. "When's the comet going to come?"

"It's already happening. See." She pointed above, to where the comet could be seen through a break in the trees.

"Why's it moving so slow?" Eddy wondered.

"Hey, it took a hundred and forty-five years to get here. It's probably tired."

Sarah snorted. "Space is a lot bigger than it looks like from down here. So while it looks slow to us, it's probably moving a lot faster than we think."

Eddy's brow furrowed. "Why does it always come back?"

"Because. That's what it does. That's the nature of everything. We leave for a while, but we always come back." Lexi peered up at the comet and frowned. "Even if we shouldn't."

"Ominous, but not wrong." Caroline came to a stop beside them and reached over to light her candle on Lexi's. "The comet has a path it follows. Just like how Earth and all the other planets circle the sun, the comet has its own rotation, which eventually brings it back here."

"Can it be knocked off rotation?" Eddy wondered.

"Sometimes it'll get hit by whatever else is flying around up there, but gravity has a way of righting things."

Eddy hummed, and then took a step back to lean against Stefan. She held her candle up for him, and he smiled as he lit his own off her wick.

"You have fun today?"

She nodded.

He rubbed her shoulder. "You look tired."

"Maybe a little," she admitted.

"I don't know how. She ate one of everything," Lexi mentioned

" _Two_ bags of cotton candy," Sarah added.

At Stefan's raised eyebrow, Eddy just grinned. "What do you expect? I was left alone while you were on a _date_. I'm ten, you can't blame me for acting my age."

His mouth twitched with amusement. "Uh-huh. Just, make sure you brush your teeth when we get home. _Twice_."

"Deal."

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"How's your neck?"

Vicki looked up, and raised an eyebrow at the man sitting in front of her. "It's fine. Just a stupid accident in the woods." She finished filling a few glasses with ice and set them under the soda dispenser to fill with Coke and Sprite respectively.

"Animal attack?" he asked. "Seems to be happening a lot around here."

"Yeah, it was dumb. I was drunk, tripped, and some furry little jerk decided to take a bite out of me." She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, it's not as bad as it looks."

"Might want to avoid the woods for a while."

"Yeah." She snorted, and muttered sarcastically, "Good advice." Putting the filled glasses on a tray, she started around the bar. "Have a good night. Flag me if you need anything."

He raised his glass and gave it a shake, the ice cubes rattling. "Will do."

Vicki walked off, glancing over her shoulder just once. He was handsome, definitely, but _weird_. Shaking it off, she made her way to a table and dropped off the drinks. She had better things to do than wonder about some emo alcoholic. What was with the all black outfit anyway? _Lame_.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"Are you guys heading out?"

Caroline turned to see Bonnie walking toward her. "Hey. Yeah, Sarah's tired and we've got school in the morning."

"Sucks, we didn't get to hang out at all." She frowned. "But hey, there's a football game Saturday night. Elena and I are on the cheerleading squad. You should come. Maybe after, we could all go to the Mystic Grill, get a bite to eat."

"Sure, that sounds great." Caroline smiled. "Maybe you could show me some of your pool skills. Lexi's been singing your praises."

"Considering how well _she_ played, I take that as a big compliment." She started backing up, but then paused. "Oh, and before I forget, I bumped into your brother. _Damon?_ He was looking for you or Lexi."

"He was?" Her eyes widened. "That's all? He didn't say anything else?"

"Not really. We didn't talk long."

Caroline nodded. "Okay. Uh, thanks. I'll text him, see where he wandered off to."

"Sure. Oh, and I mentioned to Grams that you were interested in that whole occult thing. She said you should visit and you can talk. Maybe this weekend sometime."

"Sure! I'd love to."

"Cool. I'll text you her address." She waved then, and turned on her heel to walk toward her own car.

A horn honking drew her attention then, and Caroline looked back to see Lexi waving at her, smirking. "Let's go. Pipsqueak needs her beauty sleep."

Rolling her eyes, Caroline circled around to the driver's side and pulled the door open.

"Caroline!"

She paused and looked back, her eyes scanning until they stopped on Stefan, carrying a sleeping Eddy on his back. "Hey…" She smiled at his little sister, head resting atop his shoulder. "She really was tired, huh?"

"Yeah." He readjusted his grip under her knees. "Once she starts yawning, it's a countdown before she just falls asleep anywhere."

"Did you guys need a ride home?" she wondered. "We still have room."

"No, it's fine. I brought my car. Uh, actually, I just… I realized I didn't have your number and I was gonna text you, but…"

"Oh. Yeah." She dug her own phone out and swiped it open. "Here, give me your number and I'll text you so you have mine."

Nodding, he rattled his phone number off and Caroline plugged it in before typing out a quick text.

A buzz could be heard from his jacket pocket then and he smiled. "Great. Uh, thanks."

"What was it you were going to text me?" she wondered.

"Nothing, really, just… that I had a fun time tonight, with you."

Biting her lip, she nodded. "Me too."

He smiled, his gaze falling to the ground, and Caroline felt her heart shift in her chest. "Okay, well, I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yeah." She took a step back. "Don't forget to tell Eddy she can sit with us at the game tomorrow."

He grinned. "I won't."

Caroline waved her fingers then and climbed into her car, closing the door and looking out the window to see him take a step back. Pulling her seatbelt on, Caroline finally put the car in reverse and pulled away. As they left, she looked into the rear-view mirror to see Stefan and Eddy grow smaller and smaller.

Leaning forward, Sarah sighed. "I have been here my _whole_ life and I can't get Matt Donovan to even _glance_ in my direction. You've been here, officially, _three days_ and you've got Stefan Forbes _stuttering_ over you." She shook her head morosely. "What's your secret?"

Caroline scoffed. "There's no secret. And I told you before, if Matt Donovan can't see what a catch you are, that's _his_ loss. Also, he's too old for you and you should really go for someone your age."

"Like who? Jeremy Gilbert?" Her nose wrinkled. "No thanks."

"Are there no other people in this town?" Caroline wondered.

Sarah shrugged. "I don't know. Founding families mostly stick together. I blame Carol Lockwood. She's pretty much the only one who makes sure everybody knows it matters. It's all about status and power, I guess."

"Yeah, well, trust me. The founding families weren't anything to boast about." She frowned to herself. "They were just as screwed up as everyone else, they just hid it better."

"Amen," Lexi said, shifting down in her seat. "Hey, can we make a burger run? I'm starving."

"We have blood bags at home."

"I know, but I want a burger." She reached over and shook Caroline's arm as she pled, " _Please_ , Carebear. I need a Big Mac, stat."

Caroline snorted, rolling her eyes. " _Fine_ … Sarah, you want anything?"

"An Oreo flurry. Ooh, and some fries!"

Amused, Caroline hit her blinker and headed toward McDonalds. While she was still full from her own dinner with Stefan, she wouldn't turn down dessert, and a strawberry sundae was right up her alley.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

After a hot shower, and dressed in her favorite nightgown, Caroline made her way into her bedroom, only to find the right side of her bed occupied by her favorite blonde.

"Hey," she said, rubbing a towel over her hair. "Are we sharing tonight?"

"Your twin misses you," Lexi declared, her arms tucked behind her head as she stared at the ceiling.

"Does she? Because I _think_ she's spent the last four months stuck right here beside me." Caroline tossed her towel to the laundry basket and grabbed a jar of lotion from her vanity before she walked over to sit on her side of the bed. Unscrewing the top, she scooped out a dollop with her finger, put the lid back on, and dropped the jar to her bedside table before she rubbed the lotion into her hands. "What's up, Buttercup?"

Lexi hummed. "You know, much as I still wish I could get out of here and go pretty much _anywhere_ else…"

Caroline snorted.

"I've actually _kind of_ enjoyed myself… Just a little."

"A tiny bit?"

Wrinkling her nose, Lexi nodded. "Miniscule, really."

Smiling, Caroline leaned back in bed, turning over on her side to better face her. "I'm glad you're with me. I know I basically dragged you here and have been holding you semi-hostage, but I really appreciate that you stayed. Even though you think I'm being obsessive."

"I _know_ you're being obsessive." Lexi's brows hiked with emphasis. "But I knew that about you a long time ago and have just accepted it as one of your quirks."

"Ha, _ha_." Caroline rolled her eyes. "I just need a little more time. I'll talk to Bonnie's grandmother, hopefully figure this thing out, and then… We can go. Head back to New York or Chicago or maybe visit New Orleans. We haven't been there in _ages_."

Lexi looked over at her, eyeing her curiously. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

She paused for a moment, and Caroline felt the weight of the moment fall on her. She stared back at Lexi's searching gaze and waited.

"Do you ever miss it?"

"Miss what?"

"Being human. I mean… Especially being here. Being Sarah's cousin instead of her Great, Great Aunt. Going to high school, hanging out at bonfires, making friends with Bonnie. Do you ever wish you just… You were just like them?"

"Honestly…" Her brow furrowed. "I have moments. Like, _twinges_ of regret. Just brief little ' _oh_ ' moments where I remember I'm not like them and I never will be. Not really. But, I've also had the chance to do things that I never would have. And, well, let's face it, I was born in the 1840's, so it's not like I'd get to do much of what they're doing now anyway. But… Sure, sometimes I wish it was different. And then I remember that I wouldn't have met you and I wouldn't have seen the world and… I wouldn't have found myself. Not like I did after I was turned."

Lexi frowned. "Who were you before?"

Caroline met her gaze. "Scared, mostly. Insecure. Confused. _Tired_ …" She shook her head. "Lonely."

Reaching for her, Lexi took her hand and squeezed gently. "Everybody feels that way sometimes, Care."

"I know. I do. But when I was human, I just… I let it control me. I let it dictate who I was and what I stood for and what I did. But after, when I turned, it was like I saw everything differently. I saw the world and myself differently. Suddenly, I wasn't just girly little Caroline anymore. I was whoever I wanted to be."

"There's nothing wrong with girly little Caroline, though."

"No, there isn't. But we all grow up, and even if she's a part of me, she's not _all_ of me."

Lexi hummed.

"What made you ask?" Caroline wondered.

"I just see you sometimes, and I guess I wasn't sure if you were staying for the mystery or because you didn't want to leave."

"I can't stay here forever. It's not really home, is it? It's just… a piece of history. A family I only get to visit and not really be a part of."

"I think Sarah would say different. She adores you."

"Yeah, well, Sarah's a teddy bear." Caroline smiled. "Anyway, eventually, it's not really a choice, right? It's a necessity."

"Maybe. But if you wanted to stay a while… Even if we do figure out this whole thing… You should."

Caroline's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean… It's one year. You spend your senior year here and then, whatever, you go to some college that nobody knows of. People grow apart after high school all the time. You'll just become a picture in someone's old photo album when they're thirty and feeling nostalgic. But at least that way, you get the experience, you get the friends and the bonfires and the family… Sarah doesn't want you to go and Bonnie seems pretty attached to you. So why not stay? Why not enjoy it?"

"Because… It's not real."

Lexi grinned, and then turned over onto her back. She switched the lamp off on her side of the bed and said, "According to some people, _vampires_ aren't real."

Caroline frowned at that, but she had no rebuttal. Eventually, she turned off her own lamp and sunk back into bed. Maybe Lexi was right. What was one year in the grand scheme?

[ **next** : chapter seven.]

* * *

 **author's note** : _i meant to get this up saturday, but things intervened. a lot more eddy and lexi, which i love, and i was happy to have damon and bonnie finally meet. as you can see, there's some canon-divergence happening here. yay! while the show set damon and bonnie up for a very contentious relationship that took a number of seasons to unfold, i'm going a different route. ;)_

 _thanks so much for reading! please try to leave a review!_

 **\- lee | fina**


	7. games

**chapter rating** : pg-13/teen  
 **word count** : 5,674

* * *

 **-7-**

"Caroline! Wait up!"

Caroline turned to see Bonnie hurrying toward her from the school parking lot, readjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder.

"Hey," she said as Bonnie reached her.

"Hey! So? Are you excited for the football game tomorrow?"

"I'm… not _not_ -excited," she hedged.

Bonnie snorted. "Yeah. I'm not big on it either. But Elena joined the cheerleading team Freshman year and dragged me along with her. I'm more of a dancer than a cheerer."

"You dance?"

"Hip-hop, mostly. A little ballet. I haven't had a chance to in a while though."

"Oh. Are there classes you can take?"

"Yeah. There's a studio in town. But with school and cheerleading practice, it's just kind of fallen to the backburner, you know?"

"Sure." They started walking across the field, toward the school. "So are you cheering the whole game then?"

"We start a little before the game, to get everybody pumped up. But yeah, I'm pretty much stuck on the ground for all of it." Her nose wrinkled. "But I should be free after."

"Cool. Lexi, Sarah, and I will be there, and I think Eddy's sitting with us too."

"Eddy, huh?" Bonnie grinned, raising an eyebrow.

"Shut up." Caroline bumped her shoulder. "Anyway, before I forget, what are you doing Sunday?"

"Um… Nothing, I think. Why?"

"Well, I promised Sarah a shopping trip and we were planning on making it kind of a whole day event. Like, we'd try here but if we don't find anything, we're not opposed to visiting a few surrounding towns, to see what they have to offer. And I thought, if you wanted, you could come too."

"Really?" Bonnie brightened. "That'd be awesome! I _seriously_ need some new tops. I feel like I'm slowly edging into fashion backward."

Caroline laughed. "Okay. Well, we're going to get started early, so I thought we'd get breakfast first and then hit the stores. Do you want us to pick you up at your place or meet you somewhere?"

"I can probably meet you there. Where do you want to have breakfast?"

"So far I think I've only eaten at the Mystic Grill, so if there's a better place then _please_ , enlighten me."

Bonnie chuckled. "I know a few good cafés that would be great for breakfast. Why don't we meet in front of the Grill and walk over? Most of the shops are down there anyway."

"All right. Sounds good."

Bonnie smiled. "Cool. I'm looking forward to it."

"Me too."

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"So… How's it going with you and Caroline?" Matt wondered, catching the football as Tyler tossed it to him while they stood in the field in front of the school.

Stefan looked up from the textbook he was reading. "I asked her to come to the game tomorrow. She said she would. Eddy's going to sit with her."

Tyler snorted. "How are you this slow with girls?"

"Making more progress than you," Matt said, snorting. "You've been hitting on Lexi every day since she got here and she keeps calling you _Trevor_."

Tyler glared, his mouth pursed. "It's a joke. She knows my name. She's just flirting."

Stefan shook his head. "If you say so."

"I _do_." He caught the ball as Matt threw it to him and then looked toward where Caroline and Bonnie were cutting across the field. "If you're so close to her, why don't you put a good word in for me?"

"Because. I _like_ her. And if I tell her you're a good guy and then you screw her sister over, I'm the one that has to pay for it." Closing his textbook, he hopped up from the picnic table he was sitting on, shoved it in his bag, and nodded goodbye to Matt.

"Later," Matt said.

"Hey! Who says I'll screw her over?" Tyler called after him, laughing. "Maybe I'll just screw her."

Stefan rolled his eyes, and continued walking, quickening his steps so he was nearly to the girls. "Caroline! Bonnie!"

They turned simultaneously to see him. "Hey Stefan," Bonnie said, looking from him to Caroline. "Caroline was just telling me that she'll be at the football game tomorrow."

"Yeah." He nodded, and looked to her. "I asked Eddy and she said she'd love to sit with you guys. Mom's going to be busy with work, so…"

"Great! Should I pick her up then?"

"Uh, yeah, we'll be practicing most of the day. It's probably better to get here a little early, so you can just call ahead and ask if she's ready. I'll give her your number."

"Okay, great."

"So, uh, what are you doing tonight?" he wondered, fiddling with the strap of his bag.

"Actually… You remember when I said I'd make you pasta?"

He smiled. "Yeah."

"Well, I was thinking… If you don't already have plans, maybe I could do it tonight. That way I can hang out with Eddy a little more too, so she won't feel too weird sitting with us tomorrow."

Stefan stared at her searchingly, his grin slowly widening. "Yeah, uh, that'd be great."

"Okay. So… Your place?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'll text you the address. Should I pick anything up?"

"Nope. Just you and Eddy." She waved her hands decisively. "I'll take care of everything else."

The bell rang then, drawing their attention.

"Ugh, is it too early in the year to say I'm sick of school? _Especially_ history," Bonnie said, shaking her head.

"Never too early," Caroline replied. "And I can't say history's my favorite either."

"Yeah. Hey, I forgot to say it before, but the way you stood up to Mister Tanner when he was picking on your sister was really cool." Bonnie crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't know why he's such a jerk."

"He's a bully," Stefan said, frowning.

"Yeah, he is." Caroline tucked her hands into the pockets of her jacket. "You can't let them get away with it or they think they always will."

"Hey, speaking of, where _is_ Lexi?" Bonnie wondered.

"Sleeping in. She's decided she's put in enough face time at History and will now start showing up at second period." Caroline rolled her eyes.

"I envy her," Bonnie sighed.

Stefan chuckled. "Unfortunately, I think we all do."

"Well, while she gets her beauty sleep, _I_ don't plan to be late." Caroline looked back at them as they stepped inside the school. "See you in class," she said, before walking off toward her locker.

Stefan watched her go, blonde curls bouncing at her shoulders.

"Stare any harder and you'll strain your eyes," Bonnie teased.

He smiled as he looked back at her. "That obvious?"

"Oh, _completely_." She shrugged as she walked forward and he kept pace at her side. "It's kind of nice, though."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah… Ever since this whole _thing_ between you and Elena and Matt started, it was like that was all there was. And you didn't really seem happy anymore. It was like you were going through the motions… Not exactly fun when you're sixteen."

"No, it wasn't." He sighed. "How's she doing?"

"She's… all right. I think she thinks she messed up with you, in not picking you." Bonnie eyed him curiously. "If she changed her mind, _hypothetically_ , do you think you'd…?"

" _Hypothetically_?" He half-smiled knowingly. "I was serious before. I still am. Me and Elena, we just don't work. And, it's like you said, I wasn't me anymore. I wasn't happy. I don't want to do that again."

Bonnie nodded. "Okay." She leaned over and bumped his shoulder with her own. "Then, I think it's the right choice, not picking it all up again. And besides, Caroline's really nice and you _really_ like her."

"I do. I mean, it's early and we're still getting to know each other, but… I don't know. I feel like it could be something great."

Well, good. I'm glad to hear it."

"What about Bonnie Bennett then?" He smiled down at her. "Anything on the romantic front?"

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Not currently, but I'll let you know if anything changes."

Throwing an arm around her shoulder, he squeezed her lightly. "The guys around here are _idiots_. Personally, I like to think they all just know you're too good for them."

"Whatever." She elbowed his ribs. "Is it too much to ask for a hot, dependable, smart guy to take an interest?"

"Mmm, _no_. But your options are limited. I mean, there's me and there's Matt and… That's about it," he joked.

Bonnie laughed. "Yeah, well, no offense, but I'm not wading into that whole mess." She waved a hand around him. "And Matt's one of my best friends. Honestly, I see him like a brother more than anything."

"Hmm. Well, unless someone new comes to town, you might be limited on your options." He paused. "You know, Caroline's brother is visiting… He might be right up your alley."

"Actually." She paused, glancing at him. "I met him last night. Weird coincidence. He was looking for his sisters and we bumped into each other."

"Yeah?" He raised an eyebrow. "Any sparks?"

She snorted. "Yeah, right. First of all, he's model hot like his sisters, so that's just a tiny bit intimidating. Second of all, he's probably too old for me."

"And third of all?"

"No third of all yet, but it'll probably come out that he's gay, or he's got some hot, Italian model waiting for him… or _both_."

Stefan laughed. "You want me to ask Caroline if he does?"

"Nah, I'm hanging out with Caroline Sunday anyway. Maybe I'll bump into him again and find out myself." She ducked out from under his arm then, pausing by her locker. "Have a nice dinner date tonight," she told him, teasingly.

"I will," he replied grinning, and continued on to his own locker.

So far, his day was going _great_.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Sarah was running late. She knew she shouldn't have caught a ride in with her friend, Corrine, but she'd overslept and Caroline had already taken off. Unfortunately, this meant Sarah was late for her class and had been off schedule all morning. She kept forgetting her books, or grabbing the wrong ones, and had to make a trip back to her locker to replace them. She had calculus next, not a class she wanted to be late to, considering the teacher was a stickler for the rules, but she'd accidentally grabbed her history book instead of her calc book and now she was minutes away from a tardy slip.

She was just coming around the corner, her classroom in sight, when she spotted Matt Donovan crossing her path. Sarah's eyes followed after him as she chewed her lip. It was pathetic, she knew. She'd had this ridiculous crush on him for _so long_. But he was just… _nice_ and cute and friendly and… _ugh_.

She hugged her book a little tighter to her chest and resolved to get over it. But then she spotted something on the floor, shining a little under the track lighting. Bending, she plucked it up and saw that it was a card of some kind, with Mystic Grill printed on the front and Matt's name scrawled messily on the back.

She was calling out his name before she could think it through, and he whirled at the sound, staring at her curiously.

Sarah froze under the sudden weight of his complete attention. "Uh…" She held the card up in explanation.

His brows hiked and he hurried back toward her, plucking the card from her fingers. "Thanks, that's a security pass for work, must've fallen out of my pocket. My boss would've kicked my ass if I lost this." He grinned crookedly at her, and then his head tipped. "Hey, you're a Salvatore, right? You're Caroline and Lexi's cousin or something?"

"Yeah, yes." She nodded. "Sarah."

"Sarah," he repeated, and then gave her a nod. "Thanks for this." He waved the card. "Flag me down next time you're at the Grill. Whatever you want, on the house."

She shook her head. "Oh, you don't have to—"

"I want to. Really." He nodded as he stepped backwards.

Sarah untied her tongue and smiled. "Sure, uh… You're welcome." She tucked a loose chunk of her hair behind her ear and hoped her face wasn't as red as it felt.

He grinned one last time and then turned on his heel to leave.

Sarah watched him go, sighing wistfully, and then blinked back into reality and ran the last few feet to her calc class. Walking quickly to her seat, she kept head ducked to avoid the teacher's accusing glare. Still, as she sat down and opened her books, she couldn't help a smile. Apparently that doomed crush wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Caroline had just left her English class and was walking toward her locker when she spotted him through a window facing the parking lot. Her brother, standing near her car, hands clasped together. Rolling her eyes, she changed direction and made her way outside.

"You're a little old to be creeping on a high school," she said in way of greeting.

Damon's mouth ticked up at the corners. "I don't know. I heard the cheerleaders will be practicing after school. I'm sure I could find someone to entertain me."

"Is there a reason you're here, other than to raise red flags with school security?"

He shrugged. "Maybe I just felt like checking in, see how you were settling in at your new school…" His eyes flashed wide for a moment. "Saw Lexi back at the boarding house; she said she was taking a sick day from teenage drama. You seem to be enjoying it though. Can't say I'm surprised."

She snorted. "Of course. Because I've always been so immature and self-centered, please, enlighten me again."

His head cocked curiously. "You're in a _mood_."

"Not until you showed up. I was perfectly happy until I saw you hanging around…" Her brow furrowed. "Why are you here, Damon? Not just here, as in the school, but here like Mystic Falls? You hate small towns; they bore you. So why—?"

"I told you. Your disappearing act raised my curiosity and I came to see what the big deal was." He shrugged. "What, is the Scooby Gang so full that I can't join?"

"Last I checked, you had your humanity off, which isn't conducive to my plan of action. _Namely_ , getting through this with zero casualties."

"You don't want me to kill your little friends, _fine_ , I won't." He rolled his eyes, exasperated. "But a guy's gotta eat."

"That's what blood bags are for. There are plenty in the freezer. I even made sure to stock up on your favorite type."

"I prefer my food a little fresher. I'll tap veins but I won't _tear_ them…" he offered, "best I can do."

Caroline peered at him, unconvinced, but eventually sighed. "One more body, and you and I are going to have a serious talk." She turned on her heel and started back toward the school.

"Have a good day," he called after her, mockingly cheerful. " _Learn something new!_ "

Waving her middle finger back at him over her shoulder, she heard him laugh before he walked off to his car. She wondered if it was a good or bad sign that he was checking in and making promises not to kill anyone. Damon liked his games, especially when his humanity was off, and Caroline had a feeling he was already playing one. And so was she, whether she wanted to or not.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Sheila had just turned the corner down a side street; she turned around and waited. As soon as her shadow tried to follow, she asked, "Do you plan on following me everywhere I go?"

The tall, blonde woman stumbled to a stop, blinked, and then stuttered, "I—I wasn't…"

"Mm-hmm." Sheila turned to face her, a brow arched high. "You know, for a vampire, you're not very stealthy."

"Vampire?" She cocked her head. "Are you sure you aren't taking your work home with you?"

Sheila smiled slowly, but there was little amusement in it. "You've done your homework."

"I was always a good student." She crossed her arms and jutted out her hip. "I only want to talk."

"I expect so. If you wanted to do more than that, you might've made a move much earlier." Sheila eyed her curiously. "Just how old are you?"

She shrugged. "Old enough."

Sheila nodded. "Well, what is it you were hoping to learn in your spying today then?" she wondered.

"Nothing in particular. Just whether you fell on the side of Glinda or her greener counterpart."

"And what conclusion have you come to?"

"So far? That you wear sensible shoes."

Humming, Sheila took a moment, and then held a hand out. "Sheila Bennett, but you already knew that."

She glanced at Sheila's hand, hesitated, but finally reached out and took it. "Lexi."

Sheila's fingers flexed and she drew a deep breath. "You've been around some time..." Her brows knit. "Curious, though… My Bonnie's been talking about a recent addition to Mystic Falls. A new friend. Caroline Salvatore… and her twin sister, _Lexi_."

"Then she's probably mentioned that Caroline wants to meet you… That she has a particular _interest_ in the occult."

"Hm. Is that why you've been following me then? To be sure your… _sister_ would be safe when she met me?"

Lexi stared at her a long moment. "I know what you are, and what you can do. Caroline is a good person. She doesn't want to hurt anyone. She only wants to put a piece of her history to rest, and she's hoping you might help her with that."

"You _think_ you know what I can do. But like most of your kind, you only scratch the surface." Sheila shifted to face her better. "It was a risk, letting me read you, letting me see if I could trust you."

"I don't want to hurt anyone. That's not who I am. And I think you read that just fine."

"Maybe I did. But my priority is my granddaughter. If Caroline wants to speak to me, _fine_. But leave Bonnie out of it."

"Bonnie is her friend, and she has no idea what we are," Lexi insisted. "The sooner Caroline finds what she's looking for, the sooner we can leave."

"And if she doesn't like what she finds?"

Lexi frowned and looked away. "Just help her get some peace. And then you can have your sleepy little vampire-free town back." She turned to leave then, but only made it two steps before her brain exploded in pain. It only lasted a handful of seconds, but it was enough to make her knees buckle beneath her and her vision swim. She hissed, rubbing at her temples as she turned to look at the witch glaring down at her.

"Next time you want to talk, you ask me face to face, no more following me around wherever I go. And if I find out any harm has come to Bonnie, you'll be the first to find out just what I can do."

Sheila turned then, and calmly walked away. Oh, her heart was pounding and a very insistent voice warned she shouldn't turn her back on an enemy, but she refused to let her fear show in any way. She was a Bennett witch, and that alone bolstered her pride.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

The end of the school day couldn't come soon enough, and Caroline was relieved to be crossing the parking lot toward her car. She was going over her mental grocery list for the dinner she was making and digging her keys out of her bag when she heard the sharp sound of a whistle blowing, followed by the harsh criticism of Mr. Tanner. Or, she supposed, _Coach_ Tanner, in this particular case, as he was currently in the middle of complaining that his football team was not up to standard. She could spot Matt Donovan and Tyler Lockwood from where she was standing, but couldn't see where on the field Stefan was stationed. Bonnie and Elena were going over a routine with the other cheerleaders not far from football practice though, and Caroline found herself wandering a little closer. The grocery store would still be there if she took five extra minutes.

Caroline was just about to take a seat on the lower bench of the stands when she heard a whistling noise and looked over to see Eddy Forbes sitting a few benches higher, a notebook open in front of her.

"Hey," Caroline said, her head cocked curiously. "Do you always come to your brother's practices?"

Eddy shrugged. "It's either this or hanging out at the station. And since they banned me from trying to solve the cold cases, there's not a lot for me to do."

Laughing under her breath, Caroline climbed up and took a seat beside her. "So homework then?"

"Coach told me I wasn't allowed to wear my own whistle and call out plays since it 'confused his players.'" She rolled her eyes.

"Sounds like you go through a lot of trial and error."

"I keep myself entertained." Eddy half-grinned up at her. "So what're you doing here?"

"Thought I'd see what the hype was about cheerleading." She pointed a thumb toward the group and said, "I'm friends with Bonnie."

"Bonnie's cool."

"Yeah, she is."

"Where's your sister?"

"Lexi?" Caroline frowned. "Probably at home… Not that you should follow in her footsteps, but she's not really the academic type."

Eddy snorted. "So she skipped?"

"Yeah. Usually she comes for first period, but she was tired, so she just slept through her alarm."

"Mom would kill me if I skipped school…" She shrugged. "I wouldn't anyway. I like school."

"Me too." Caroline smiled. "I always did. I mean, there are some things that you can take or leave. Like homework, not exactly my favorite part. But I like learning new things and challenging myself to be better."

"Same."

Caroline looked out at the field then, scanning to see if she could find Stefan amongst the formation.

"Seventeen," Eddy told her knowingly, and then pointed down the field. "Have you ever played?"

Caroline's gaze followed Eddy's finger to where Stefan stood, hands on his hips as he waited for them to run the play. "Yeah," she murmured thoughtfully. "A long time ago. With my brother…"

 _Damon ran ahead of her, the ball held in the crook of his elbow. "Come on, I'll throw it and you catch it," he told her._

 _Picking up the skirts of her dress, Caroline hurried after him. "Where did you learn this game?"_

 _"Camp outside of Atlanta, one of the officers picked it up at Harvard." He waved at her to move further back. "Are you certain you want to play? It might dirty your pretty dress," he teased._

 _Caroline glared at him. "What is dirty can be washed. Throw me the ball, Damon." She held her hands out demandingly._

 _"All right, but you must catch it."_

 _"I will!"_

 _Grinning, Damon drew his arm back and threw the ball in an arc. Caroline shrieked and backed up. Her fingers skinned the edge of it before it finally slipped just into her grip. Holding it up triumphantly, she waved it in his direction. "You see! I told you I would!"_

 _Laughing, he rushed toward her._

 _Caroline turned and ran away, hugging the ball to her chest. "You have not told me the rules!" she shouted back at him, running out of reach._

 _"Who needs rules?" Katherine's voice suddenly called out. She walked across the porch and grinned at them, hands clasped together prettily. "Mind if I join you?" she asked, her voice coy as she walked daintily down the stairs._

 _Caroline slowed to a stop and looked from Katherine to her brother and back again. She walked toward their guest, dusting dirt from her hands and feeling oddly ashamed that she did not look quite as pristine as Miss Pierce did. "It rained last evening, the ground is rather muddy."_

 _Katherine walked up to her and tilted her chin as she stared Caroline in the eyes, her lips turned up faintly at the corners. "What is dirty can be washed." She stole the ball from Caroline's hand, giggled, and then ran off, inviting them to give chase._

 _Caroline peered after her, brow furrowed and mouth pursed. In all the time that Katherine had been staying with them, it would seem that she only became more of a mystery._

 _Damon's gaze followed Katherine before he turned to her. "Don't look so sour, sister. If Miss Pierce would like to play, it's our duty to appease her." He wiggled his eyebrows, smirking all the while, and finally took off after her._

 _Caroline lingered behind a few moments, hesitant and uncertain. But eventually, hearing the lilting sound of Katherine's giggle and her brother's laugh, she too followed._

"Stefan taught me to play when I was little."

Caroline blinked back into the present. "Yeah? Do you like it?"

Eddy shrugged. "I'm better at soccer, but football's fun too."

"Nice. Are you on a soccer team?"

"No. I was before, my dad used to coach the team, but after he left…" Her gaze fell. "I don't know. It wasn't the same anymore. So I quit."

Caroline nodded. "I get that. When my mom was alive, I used to sing and play the piano, but… after she died, I… It was never the same. It reminded me of her and…"

"It hurt," Eddy said, looking over at her. "Yeah."

"Yeah." Trying to shake off the sudden melancholy feeling, Caroline smiled. "Hey, if you want, you can come with me to the grocery store. I need to pick up some things for dinner tonight."

"Sure." Eddy closed her notebook and tucked it in her open backpack. "Beats doing homework."

Standing from the bleachers, Eddy pulled her bag onto her shoulder.

Caroline stood too. "Maybe we should flag Stefan, let him know—"

" _STEFAN!_ " Eddy shouted, hands cupped around her mouth. "I'M GOING SHOPPING WITH CAROLINE! SEE YOU AT HOME!" Hopping down to the next bench, Eddy grinned over at her. "There. Done."

Blinking, Caroline nodded. "Uh, okay. I guess that works too…" She followed after her, making her way down to the field. Just to be sure, though, she looked for Stefan, and waved at him.

His helmet off, damp hair clinging to his flushed face, he grinned and waved back at her.

Caroline stared a moment, a warm feeling washing over her.

"Hey, you got anything to eat? Me and Stefan usually get a snack at Mystic Grill."

Caroline looked over to Eddy, amused by her candor. "Subtle. Well, we have plenty of time before dinner, so, sure, we can get something to eat before we go shopping. Sound good?"

Eddy beamed. "Awesome."

"Great." As they walked off the field, headed to her car, Caroline waved at Bonnie, who wiggled her eyebrows in reply, before focusing back on her cheerleading practice.

"So, how was school?" Caroline wondered, looking over at Eddy beside her.

Eddy shrugged. "It was okay. We're studying amphibians in my science class and there's this big tank of frogs that someone let loose in the field behind the school."

"' _Someone_ ,' or you?"

"In the interest of not incriminating myself, I'll have to plead the fifth."

Caroline laughed, shaking her head, and unlocked the car doors with her keychain. "Well, I hope those frogs find a good home."

Eddy pulled open the passenger side door and smirked. "Anywhere's better than the science lab."

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"Hey, Pipsqueak, how was school?"

Sarah rolled her eyes as she walked further into the house. "Fine. How was _skipping_ school?" she wondered, walking into the kitchen to find Lexi sitting on the counter, eating a bowl of grapes.

"Informative." She hopped down and handed the bowl off to her. "Where's my blonder twin?"

"I don't know. I thought she'd be here." Sarah popped a grape in her mouth and frowned. "Why? What's up?"

"Nothing. Just did some Scoobying on my own and wanted to fill her in."

" _Oh_." She paused. "You could fill me in," she offered.

Lexi looked over at her. "You're really interested in all this vampire stuff, huh?"

"I don't know. Ever since I found out about them when I was a kid, it's just kind of been this giant question mark, you know? I guess there are some things only real vampires know."

"I imagine there's a lot only we know. Just like there's a lot we don't." She grinned as she took a seat at the kitchen island. "So, what do you wanna know?"

"Well, what's it feel like?"

" _Like_ … hypersensitivity, to everything. Better hearing, seeing, tasting, everything. And then other things are kind of muted. Like, food tastes great, but _nothing_ tastes as good as blood. And your feelings are jacked up to three hundred, especially in the beginning. You get used to it and kind of find your middle-ground, but for a while, it's just like wanting to cry and laugh and scream all rolled into one… And love, love is the _worst._ It's intense and consuming and, for a vampire, that says something. But it's also the best. Unless you fall for a human, and then you've got a world of pain headed your way."

"Have you ever fallen for a human?"

"Sure. You don't live as long as I have and not make a few mistakes along the way." She smiled. "There was this girl, back in 1804, God, she was beautiful. And funny, just… Every time I was with her, I was laughing… And that feeling you get, when you first fall in love, and everything is _electric_. Every touch and smile and look… It felt like that, every day that we were together. But…" She sighed. "Alas, the girl was human, and we only had so much time together before I had to leave."

"Did she know?" Sarah wondered. "That you were…"

"When you really love someone, you tell them. Maybe it's because you're hoping they'll choose to be like you or maybe you just don't want to lie to them or maybe you want them to love all of you like you love all of them…" She hummed. "But yeah, I told her."

"And she didn't… She didn't want to…?"

"I never offered," Lexi admitted. "And she never asked."

Sarah swallowed, her gaze falling. "That must've been hard."

"Sometimes love has a time limit. So you take every second you can get and when it's over, you cherish it, and you let them go."

"Do you ever regret it? Or wish it was different?"

"Sometimes I ask myself what it would be like if she'd turned, if she was here with me now, if she would've liked being like me… But I think she thought about it, knew that it wasn't something she wanted or could do, and she made the decision not to turn."

"What happened to her after?"

"She lived out her life, she was happy. She had three nieces that she spoiled rotten and that was all she needed. I visited her before she died, just to say goodbye…" Her gaze grew distant for a moment. "She was just as beautiful as the day I met her."

Sarah swallowed tightly. "Do you miss her?"

Lexi blinked back into the moment and looked over at her. "Sure. I miss a lot of people. That's one of the downsides to vampirism. You meet a whole lot of people and before you know it, you're the only one left."

Staring at her searchingly, Sarah frowned and finally turned her eyes away. "One day, that's going to be me."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll just be a memory. Someone you and Caroline remember but haven't seen in decades or centuries. All the little details will be fuzzy and out of focus and I'll just get added to the pile."

"That's a pretty depressing way of looking at it."

"How else would you look at it?"

"That it's not a pile, like I've got a memory dump I leave everything and everyone I love behind in. But a photo album, or a scrapbook, where everyone has their own pages, their own chapters. And sure, I go back and I look at them from time to time, and I miss them, but I don't just put them away and never touch them again. I think of them when I'm having a bad day or when I smell something that reminds me of them or when I hear someone say their name. I think of how soft Anya's hands were or how her breath felt on my neck when we slept.

"It happens to everyone, Sarah. In ten years, you're going to remember what it was like when you were fifteen. Your friends and your family and something funny or scary or embarrassing that happened in school. That memory is going to carve itself into you, to be remembered later, just like I am. Maybe my memories go back further, but it's the same as you. You'll have epic loves and epic fails and they'll condense into different feelings that'll crop up at the best and worst times of your life.

"And I can promise you one thing… In fifty or a hundred years, when I look back and think of Sarah Salvatore, you're not just going to be one face among many. You'll be your own, individual chapter in my life. With page markers and highlighted passages and lovingly weathered pages from me re-reading every inch of when I knew you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. You're my Pipsqueak, remember?"

Sarah smiled, ducking her head. "I don't know. I just… Sometimes I think about how weird it all is."

"Oh, trust me, you've barely scraped the top of the iceberg on the weird meter." She patted Sarah's shoulder. "There's a lot more to come."

[ **next** : chapter eight.]

* * *

 **author's note** : _next chapter will be a lot more stefan/caroline heavy, since it'll deal with their dinner date. but i did like exploring a few plots going on outside of them. i think lexi often seems really chill about things, but i did kind of want to highlight that she has a serious side and she is taking steps to be involved in helping caroline crack the katherine/elena mystery._

 _someone asked last chapter when matt and sarah would meet too, and this is just a little moment for them. things pick up more as time goes on and the drama in mystic falls kicks up a notch._

 _also, eddy is still such a fun character to write, so i hope you're enjoying her! :)_

 _thanks for reading. hope you enjoyed it! please try to leave a review!_

 **\- lee | fina**


	8. interrupted

**warning(s)** : violence, coarse language **  
chapter rating** : pg-13/teen  
 **word count** : 7,660

* * *

 **-8-**

Caroline and Eddy walked down each aisle of the grocery store Fto be sure that she got everything she needed for their dinner. As well as a few other things for home, like the king-sized bag of peanut butter cups that Sarah would love or the fresh croissants that were made in house that Gail always raved about. Currently, they were half-way down the baking ingredients aisle, eyeing a bag of flour.

"You really don't think you have any at home? I'm not going to get there and find like, three bags in different stages of empty?"

Eddy snorted. "We don't really bake anything. Mom used to, like, forever ago. She'd make fresh bread sometimes. But she's too busy now, with work." She shrugged. "Anyway, there's a whole aisle of noodles just over there. Why do you have to make 'em yourself?"

" _Because_. The noodles are essential, and when you make them yourself, you show how much care you're putting into your food. My mother used to say that if you want something to taste good, you have to season it with your hard work. Besides, I love cooking. It's a great stress reliever." She grinned. "And when you're finished, it comes out looking so amazing you don't even have to think about how much cheese you just put on it to make it a hundred times less healthy."

Eddy's eyes lit up. "Cheese next!" she decided.

Rolling her eyes fondly, Caroline bent to pick up a bag of flour and add it to the cart. Hopping onto the end, Eddy waited for Caroline to start pushing it once more. They'd just exited the mouth of the aisle when they nearly collided with someone.

"Oh! Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was… _Caroline_."

Looking over, Caroline's brows hiked. "Elena… _hey…_ "

"Hi." Her eyes darted to the end of the cart and a half-smile upturned her mouth. "Hey Eddy, haven't seen you in a while…"

Eddy nodded before directing her gaze to the inside of the cart and fiddling with a few things.

"Um, probably not the best time, but, could we talk really quick?" Elena asked Caroline.

"Oh, uh, yeah, sure." She smiled awkwardly. "Eddy, why don't you head over to the cheese? I'll meet you there in a minute, okay?"

Hopping off the end, Eddy hooked her fingers through the cart and towed it behind her. "No cat fights or I'll have to arrest both of you," she called out before she left.

Folding her hands together, Caroline turned her attention back to Elena. Her heart jumped a little; it was still so strange to look at her and remind herself it _wasn't_ Katherine. "I thought you'd still be at cheerleading practice…"

"I would be, usually, but I decided it just wasn't for me. Not right now." Elena shrugged. "I thought I could get back into my old routine, but it looks like that was just wishful thinking."

"Well, it was only one practice, maybe you just need more time to—"

"Can I ask you something?" she interrupted.

Caroline blinked, and stared at her a moment. She had a feeling what the question would be, but she sighed. "Okay."

"You and Stefan…" She trailed off a moment and then rocked back on her heel. "It's just… We talked, right? At the bonfire. And I told you what was going on and how I felt and what I was going to do and you _seemed_ really supportive. Except, now you're going to his football practice and you're here with his little sister and I… I guess I'm confused."

Gaze falling for a moment, Caroline gathered her thoughts. "The night of the bonfire, Stefan asked me out, and I turned him down because things between you two seemed _really_ unfinished and I just didn't want to get in the middle of that drama."

Elena's brow furrowed. "Okay…"

"The next day, he came to see me in class and he told me that, on his part, things are done and he wanted me to give him a chance to prove that. And I know what you said, I know how you feel, and I know, to you, this probably seems like a huge betrayal, but… I _like_ Stefan. I really do. And he likes me. And I don't know how long that'll last or where it's going, but… I want to find out." She smiled faintly. "I'm sorry if that hurts you, because that's not at all what I was trying to do. But, to be honest, itreally doesn't have anything to do with you. Whatever issues you have with Stefan, you should talk to him about them, not me."

" _Wow_. Uh… I don't know what to say." Elena shifted her feet and shook her head. "But, you know, I think Bonnie was wrong, about us being friends. I don't think that's going to work out so much."

Caroline nodded. "If that's how you feel." She motioned a thumb over her shoulder. "I should get back to Eddy. She's probably loading up the cart with every cheese in sight." She took a few steps back and turned on her heel, but didn't get far before Elena called after her.

"It's temporary, you know? Stefan, he… He's always been in love with me, for as long as I can remember. This thing, with Matt, it was a mistake, and I regret that. But Stefan will forgive me, he always does."

Caroline looked back at her, frowning.

Elena shook her head. "I don't expect you to understand it, but… I know Stefan. He's just like me. We— We're _soul mates_ , I know we are. So…" She lifted her chin then, and Caroline saw a whisper of Katherine Pierce in the superior tilt of her head. "Enjoy it, for as long as you can."

A muscle ticked in Caroline's cheek before she forced a grin. "I will."

She turned quickly then, chewing on the inside of her lip as she felt her fangs lengthen and the veins beneath her eyes pulsed. Taking deep breaths in through her nose, she curled her hands into fists and searched out her calm. It wasn't until she was nearly to Eddy that she felt the obvious signs of her anger ebb away and she looked, for all purposes, perfectly human.

"Hey, I wasn't sure which cheeses you needed, but I grabbed a bunch. Stefan uses at least four of these when he's making his special grilled cheese."

"Special?" Caroline cleared her throat when her voice came out a little strained.

"Yeah, grilled cheese is kind of the only thing he can make. Well, and soup, but that doesn't take much skill." Eddy shrugged, and then looked up, pausing as she caught sight of her. "Are you okay? You look upset. Did Elena do something?"

"No, no. Just…" She shook her head. "Boy drama, you know? Not exactly what I came shopping for."

Eddy snorted. "Does anybody?"

Smiling, Caroline stepped toward her and looked over the collection of cheeses. "These are the ones Stefan uses?"

"Yeah, you should get him to make you one someday."

"Maybe I will." Caroline took up the proffered cheeses and then searched out a few more before she was ready. "Okay… let's check out the produce. I need a few things. Also, keep your eyes open for strawberries. They're Lexi's favorite."

Eddy saluted her before hopping onto the end of the cart. "That way!" she said, pointing toward the produce section. "You know what else we should get?"

"Hm?"

" _Dessert_."

Caroline laughed under her breath. " _Or_ … we could _make_ dessert."

Eddy's eyes lit up. "Deal!"

* * *

 **…**

* * *

"Well, if it isn't my favorite niece…" His voice seemed to echo through the den, though she was pretty sure that was just due to her surprise.

Sarah paused in walking back to the couch, where her homework lay sprawled on the coffee table, next to a bow of trail mix an open can of Coke. Her back straightened before she, very slowly, turned around. "Uncle Damon," she said quietly.

He smirked at her. "No need to look so scared… What is it Lexi calls you? _Pipsqueak?_ "

She swallowed tightly, a lead weight building in her stomach.

He nodded, walking toward her. "When you were little, I called you something else. You remember... Sarah—"

"Bo-Bear-a. You called me Sarah Bo-Bear-a. You'd sing it." She stared at him searchingly. "Caroline said—"

"Caroline says a lot of things." He grinned. "She's a worrier. Always has been." He stopped just in front of her, gaze falling to the necklace she was wearing. "Vervain?"

Sarah nodded a little jerkily. "I drink it too."

Damon hummed. "That's funny, because vervain was wiped out a long time ago… It hasn't grown in Mystic Falls in a very long time." He reached up, brushing her loose hair back from her face and over her shoulder. "Do you want to tell Uncle Damon where you're getting yours?"

"No, she doesn't." Lexi walked into the room, hands on her hips, and frowned at him. "Don't you have small children or old ladies to be terrorizing?"

"Is that a suggestion?" Damon wondered, pivoting to see her.

Lexi rolled her eyes. "Leave Sarah alone. She's probably one of the few people who knows you that actually thinks there's still something good lurking underneath that emo get-up."

Pursing his lips at her, he cast his gaze back to Sarah. "I can't spend some time catching up with my niece? Family is important." He turned back to Lexi, smirking. "You should know, you're my sister too now. As if one unholy blonde terror wasn't enough."

Lexi grinned sharply. "I'm older, Damon, and any soft spot I had for you withered up and died a long time ago." She held a hand out. "Sarah?"

Hesitating just a moment, Sarah shifted to the side, out of Damon's reach and then hurried over to stand next to Lexi.

Frowning, Damon turned to look at them. "You really think I'd hurt her?"

"I think you like playing games, and when you don't have your humanity on, you think as long as you let them live, you're not doing anything we can't forgive. This is me telling you that if you harm one hair on Sarah's head, I will feed you your own heart." Her eyes narrowed to slits. "Have I made myself clear?"

"Crystal." His mouth turned up in a humorless grin, and then his gaze wandered to Sarah. "We'll catch up soon, Sarah Bo-bear-a." With a wink, he was gone, racing from the room faster than her human eyes could see.

Sarah let out a shaky breath, her heart pounding in her ears. "I froze. I—I didn't know what to do. Caroline told me to be careful, but… I don't know. It was like, I was scared, I knew I should be, but another part of me wasn't, because, I mean, he's _Damon_. I—"

"It's okay. Hey…" Lexi wrapped her in a hug. "Whatever he is, he's still your family, I get it."

Sarah hugged her back, resting her chin on Lexi's shoulder. "I just wish he'd turn it back on. The Damon I knew… He was better than this. I know he was."

Lexi rubbed her back. "I know."

Standing in the hallway, eavesdropping, Damon frowned to himself.

* * *

 **…**

* * *

Stefan was tired, but it was a good feeling. He'd worked his ass off at practice and, while the coach probably wouldn't agree, he'd seen some improvement in the team since last year. He wasn't sure how far they would go, but they were getting better, and he was doing his part to add to that.

Having showered at the school, his hair was still dripping, and his clothes clung to his skin a little. He'd been eager to get home, and it'd shown. Matt and Tyler had razzed him about Caroline and their dinner date, but he didn't care. He was excited. For the first time in a very long time.

As soon as the door opened, he could hear laughter and the low chatter of talking coming from the kitchen. Duffel bag slung over his shoulder, he walked toward it, smiling as he caught sight of them. Eddy was standing on a foot stool, wearing a whole lot of flour on her pin-striped apron. Caroline looked pristine in comparison while she kneaded out some dough in front of her.

"Maybe next time, we can try making different noodles, like fusilli or conchiglie. Or we could make ravioli or cappelletti! Those were my mother's favorite."

"Cool!" Eddy grinned at her. "We could make all of them! _Hey_! We could have a big dinner, probably at your place, 'cause it's bigger, and we can invite everyone! It'll be like a pasta party!"

Laughing lightly, Caroline nodded. "Sure. And you can help me make everything, right?"

"Yup!"

"You guys look like you're having fun," Stefan said, stepping a little further into the room as he looked between them.

"Don't look in the fridge!" Eddy exclaimed. "Caroline and I made dessert, but it's a surprise."

He smiled, and held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, I promise I won't look in the fridge."

"Good. Now come look, we made our own pasta noodles, see!" She pointed to a pile of noodles coiled up in a bowl. "Caroline's making fresh garlic bread too. And this is our pasta sauce…" She hopped off her stool and moved to the stove and grabbed up a wooden spoon, still wearing a little sauce from the last time she'd stirred it. "You want a taste?"

"I'll wait for dinner."

"Your loss." Shrugging, she walked back to her stool. And then, sniffing the air, she frowned, and leaned toward him. "You smell good. Usually you stink after practice."

He shook his head, and ruffled her hair. "I _showered_."

"Did you put on cologne?"

Feeling a flush crawl up his neck, he grinned at his sister. "Yes, I also put on deodorant. Any more questions, Sheriff Third Degree?"

She smirked up at him knowingly. " _Nope_."

"Good. I'm going to put my stuff away. Did you call mom? Let her know you'll be here with us today?"

Humming, she screwed up her mouth and shook her head. "No." She stretched an arm out toward the phone on the counter and just barely bumped it with the ends of her fingers.

Rolling his eyes, Stefan leaned over, grabbed it up, and handed it to her. "Ask her what time she thinks she'll be home."

Saluting him, she dialed with her other thumb.

Walking behind her, he came to a stop next to Caroline. "Hey… Looks like you had a pretty busy afternoon."

"Yeah, we got a lot done." She smiled, but then bit her lip and glanced back at Eddy. When she took a step closer to him, his breath stuttered, and he watched her cheeks brighten a little. "Uh, sorry, I just… I ran into Elena and I thought we could talk about it… Not now, obviously, but…"

"Later, sure." He nodded. "Everything's okay though?" he wondered, searching her face.

"Yeah, it's fine. I just…" She shook her head. "It was just a weird thing that happened."

"Then we'll talk." His hand skimmed down her arm, gently squeezing her wrist. "Eddy does her homework after dinner anyway. Is that good?"

"Definitely, yeah."

"Okay." He took a step back, and then paused, reaching up to brush a smudge of flour from her chin. Smiling lightly, he pushed a loose curl of her hair back behind her ear and then turned to leave.

"He's getting better at that flirting thing, huh?" Eddy said just as he exited the kitchen.

Caroline giggled at her forwardness. "Yes, he is."

Stefan grinned as he climbed the stairs to the second floor, en route to his bedroom.

* * *

 **…**

* * *

"Looking for Vicki?" Bonnie wondered.

Sighing, Matt nodded. "Her shift isn't supposed to be over for another hour, but the manager says she took off early."

Frowning sympathetically, she shook her head. "So what's the plan?"

"I don't know. I'm just getting tired of chasing her down and making up excuses for people. If she's not careful, she's gonna lose her job and… She needs it. Mom only sends so much money. It barely covers the rent."

"Maybe losing her job wouldn't be the worst thing. It could be a good wake-up call."

He snorted disbelievingly. "Yeah, right."

"You know, sometimes I forget she's older than you. I know you wanna save her, Matt, but sometimes you have to let people fall apart and put themselves back together."

"Maybe," he said quietly. "Unfortunately, if she falls apart, where's that leave me?"

Reaching out for him, she rubbed a hand over his shoulder. "You got me, and Tyler, and Stefan. We'll always be here."

Half-smiling, he nodded. "Thanks, Bon."

"Sure." She frowned. "I guess this means you're not up for pool tonight, huh?"

He cracked a smile. "Wish I could, but I've got homework stacking up. I should get home, try to get it done before the electricity gets cut." He nodded his chin toward the tables. "Tyler might be up for a game."

Scrunching up her nose as she spun on her stool, she raised an eyebrow as she caught sight of Tyler flirting with not one, but _three_ girls at the same time. "Yeah, he looks a little busy right now…"

Snorting a laugh, Matt shrugged.

"You think this means he's given up on Lexi?" she wondered.

"He likes a challenge."

"I'm pretty sure he'll lose that one."

"Yeah? I don't know… He might surprise you."

Bonnie scoffed, but before she could reply, she felt a flash of heat wash over her, and then a familiar tug at her belly. Instinctively, her eyes turned toward the door as it swung open. Damon Salvatore stepped through and Bonnie felt her heart squeeze, and then crawl up her throat. His gaze swung in her direction, and her lungs went still.

"Bon?" Matt called, his voice distant.

The outside world seemed to hollow out, slow down, and quiet itself. She was caught up in the mutual stare down, a strange tingling in the tips of her fingers, and then he blinked, and air rushed into her lungs.

"Bonnie?" A hand squeezed her shoulder.

"Huh? Sorry, what?" She turned on her stool to see a curious Matt staring back at her.

"Nothing, just… lost you there for a second. You okay?"

"Yeah, fine, just… distracted."

"All right, well, I'm heading out. See ya tomorrow?"

"Yeah, sure, tomorrow." She smiled vaguely, and waved to him as he left. Using it as an excuse to look over her shoulder, her gaze traveled across the room, searching out the elusive Salvatore brother. But she couldn't spot him. Had he slipped out or sat down somewhere out of sight or—

A stool shifted beside her and Bonnie turned forward again. Through the mirrored wall behind the liquor bottles, she could see Damon sitting next to her, his mouth tilted faintly.

"It's Bonnie, right?" he said, as if he knew she was looking at him.

Nodding, she straightened her back and lifted her chin, shifting in her seat to face him. She wasn't sure why she was feeling defensive, but she was.

He smirked. "Fancy meeting you here…"

* * *

 **…**

* * *

"Did Eddy tell you about the _miraculous_ escape of the science lab frogs?" Caroline sipped at her glass of water, her brows hiked.

"No, she didn't…" Stefan turned to his little sister. "Why do I get the feeling I'll be hearing from your principal soon?"

Eddy shrugged. "I'm not saying _I_ let them out, but if I _did_ , there'd be no way to _prove_ it."

"Is that your official stance on it then? Should I pass that on if they ask me about it?"

"Y'know, I'm starting think there's some kind of bias going on there. Why does he always blame _me_ for everything that goes wrong at the school? I'm an upstanding citizen. If I want to be sheriff one day, I have to start setting an example early." She banged a fist down on the table for emphasis. And then grinned. " _That_ is my official stance."

Stefan smiled. "Noted."

"What about you?" Caroline wondered. "Were you big into social activism at Eddy's age? Save any helpless amphibians?"

Laughing under his breath, he sat back in his chair. "Uh, not on the same scale, no."

"What about that time you staged a protest against the banned books list?" Eddy asked. "Or when you went on a hunger strike in sixth grade because the cafeteria food was gross? Or that time you—"

"Okay," he interrupted, fiddling with his fork. "I might've rebelled a little."

"Your protested?" Caroline asked, interest piqued.

"I was eight, and they were trying to ban Harry Potter, which I was reading at the time. And then I started researching it and finding out about all these other books they'd banned and I… got excited. So I decided to stage a protest in front of city hall, and I got all my friends in on it, and my parents, and… yeah." He nodded, his face flushed a little. "It worked. At least for Mystic Falls. They decided to review which books were on the banned list and a lot them were removed, including Harry Potter."

Caroline's brows hiked. "Wow, look at you. Activism runs in the family, huh?"

He shook his head, waving a hand modestly. "It was small scale. I was young."

"You didn't like what was happening, so you stood up against it." She nodded. "That's awesome, seriously."

He stared back at her, a faint smile pulling at his mouth.

"If you guys are going to stare at each other like that all night, I'm going to eat dessert all by myself."

Tearing her eyes away, Caroline looked at Eddy, amused. "Subtle." She pushed back from the table, pulling her napkin from her lap and putting it atop the table. "Come on, I'll help you bring it out."

" _Yes!_ " Hopping off her chair, Eddy followed her into the kitchen and started digging around for a large serving spoon, three bowls, and three regular spoons.

"It's nothing super elaborate, it's mostly just fresh whipped cream and berries and some graham crackers on the bottom for crunch." Caroline carried the bowl into the dining room. "Eddy made the whipped cream and picked which berries to use. There's a ton leftover. She already put some away for a snack at the football game tomorrow."

"It looks great," Stefan said, eyeing the large bowl. "Although I find it hard to believe you can top the pasta. That was the best thing I think I've ever eaten…"

Flushed with pride, Caroline smiled down at him. "Thank you. I had a lot of help."

"Caroline's going to teach me to bake too," Eddy told him, hopping back onto her chair and handing Caroline the serving spoon while she held up two of the bowls. "We're going to make a whole bunch of things. You can be our taste tester."

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Mmhmm. If you're lucky, we'll let you clean up after too."

"Lucky, huh?"

She grinned at him, and then handed his dessert bowl to him when it was full, before grabbing up a spoon and dropping it in the center. "Eat up, buttercup."

"Thank you, Ed," he said, amused.

With a salute, she reached down for the third bowl and held it up too. After Caroline filled each, Eddy sat back and grabbed the spoons for each before passing her bowl back.

Taking her seat, Caroline dug out a bite of her own but watched as Eddy tried hers. "Well?"

Eddy licked her lips of excess whipped cream. "S'good!"

Caroline nodded. "Glad to hear it."

"Mmhmm." Hopping off her chair then, Eddy announced, "I'm gonna eat this in my room. I got homework. See ya, Caroline. Thanks for dinner!"

"Thanks for helping."

"Anytime, civilian!" Rushing out of the room then, they could hear her heavy footsteps as she climbed the stairs.

"She's awesome," Caroline said, turning to him. "You're lucky."

"You've got one of your own, and you're pretty close. I'm not the only lucky one."

"Yeah. Lexi is something else. She's… I don't know. I can't really explain it."

"Is it a twin thing?"

She laughed. "Well, there's that, but… I think there are just people in your life, family or friends or whatever, and they shape it. They shape _you_. The best parts of you. And I think, without Lexi, I'd be something else. _Someone_ else."

Stefan hummed, nodding. "Maybe I should thank her then… for shaping you this way."

Caroline gaze across at him, her expression soft. "Do you have people like that?"

"I do. Yeah. Matt was a big one. Then there's Bonnie. She… She's a rock. Always has been. And…" He frowned. "For a long time, that's what I thought Elena was. But… I don't know. I think she brought out a side of me that I didn't really like. So, I guess if there are people who can shape the best of you, there are some who can shape the worst."

"Yeah." Katherine's face popped into mind, her lips upturned in a teasing smirk. "I guess so."

"Speaking of…" He stared at her searchingly. "You wanted to talk to me about something that happened today? With Elena?"

"Oh, right. Uh… Well, Eddy and I went grocery shopping to get everything for dinner and we ran into Elena. She wanted to talk to me alone, and I didn't really think Eddy wanted to hear any of that, so I sent her ahead. But…" She took a deep breath. "I don't know. I think, at first, Elena was just trying to figure out what was happening between us. I'm not really close to her. I'm more friends with Bonnie. But I did talk to her a few times, and the prevailing theme was her feelings for you. So, I guess she felt a little betrayed that you and I were… spending time together."

Stefan nodded, humming thoughtfully. "What did you say?"

"Uh, not much. Just that we liked each other and I… wanted to see where it might go and that, if she had a problem with that, she needed to talk to you about it."

"Okay. Good. That's… I can talk to her."

Caroline nodded, stirring her spoon in her dessert.

"Did she say anything else?"

"Hm?"

"You're making a face." He pointed, motioning his finger around. "I might not know all of them yet, but that one definitely says something's bothering you…"

Caroline bit her lip. "She might've added that it was… temporary. This… thing between us. That you would always go back to her and you would always love her and… that you were soulmates." Her brow furrowed. "I don't know. It was weird."

"Soulmates," he repeated.

"Yeah." She forced a smile. "You know, I don't think I've ever fought a girl for someone. Or a boy for that matter."

"No?"

"No, I… I've mostly avoided relationships," she admitted.

Stefan waited, and Caroline knew that her story was bubbling on the end of her tongue. She just wasn't sure how much she wanted to share, or how much she _should_.

"There was someone, once…" She shifted in her seat, glancing at him. "A long time ago."

"Did you love them?"

"I…" She swallowed tightly. "I don't know. I know that sounds like a cop-out, but… I really don't. Sometimes I think I did. I think… yeah, that must've been what it was. But other times… I'm not so sure."

He stared at her, and then reached across the table to lay his hand over hers, warm and soothing. "It's okay not to know."

Caroline felt every muscle in her body suddenly let go of the tension that had built up. "Yeah." She smiled, and shook her head. "Anyway, that was way too depressing. Um, I just thought you should know, about Elena."

"Okay, good." He nodded. "On a somewhat related note… Could we stop calling this a 'thing'?" He grinned. "I prefer 'dating' or 'tentatively dating' if you're still unsure."

Giggling, she sat back in her seat. "Dating," she agreed.

"Great."

"Eat your dessert," she told him, nodding her chin forward. "Eddy and I spent _hours_ making all this food."

"I appreciate the effort." He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. "You're setting the bar pretty high though. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to top homemade pasta, especially when it tastes that good."

Caroline grinned. "You can't top it. But I look forward to seeing you try."

Stefan smiled. "Challenge accepted."

* * *

 **…**

* * *

"Do you always hang out with your sisters' friends?" Bonnie wondered, resting her elbow on the bar as she peered up at him.

Damon's mouth kicked up on one side. "I'm a little short on friends of my own currently. Why? Are you all booked up? No room left on the roster?"

She pursed her lips at him. "No… Just, curious, I guess."

Humming, he leaned toward her. "I didn't come looking for you, if that's what you think. But you are the only familiar place in here." In a stage-whisper, he added, "And I hear drinking alone is frowned upon."

"The first sign of alcoholism," she replied, raising an eyebrow.

"You go right for the throat, huh?" He grinned. "You know, from what I heard, you were supposed to be the _nice_ one."

"I _am_ nice."

"Yeah?" He leaned toward her. "Prove it."

Her head cocked. "How?"

"Share a drink with me, tell me about yourself, be my one-woman welcoming committee."

Bonnie snorted. "I'm underage, first of all—"

"I'm sure they have something vintage on the soda dispenser."

"—and there's not much to tell." She shrugged. "I'm pretty simple."

Damon shook his head. "I find that hard to believe."

Staring up at him a moment, she bit the inside of her cheek. "I'm an only child, my parents divorced when I was still in diapers, mom left, so I spend most of my time between my dad and my grandmother. See? _Simple_."

He hummed. "So no skeletons in the closet?"

"Nope, skeleton free." A whisper in the back of her mind reminded her of her grandmother and her fantastical stories about witchcraft and Salem and manifesting powers. But she swallowed it down and turned her gaze down to her half-finished glass of Coke. "What about you? Any skeletons?"

" _Tons_ ," he confessed. "I had to enlarge the closet. It's a walk-in now with a specialty made shelving unit for easier categorizing of my many issues."

Bonnie cracked a smile. "Baggage?"

" _Loads_ of it." His eyes flashed wide as she watched him through the mirror. He was staring at her, bright blue eyes taking in her side profile.

"At least you're honest," she mused.

He smirked. "To a fault, really. My sister says I'm rude."

"Which one?" She looked back at him.

He grinned. " _Both_."

"Are they right?"

"More than they're wrong." His eyes skittered across her face. "You're very beautiful."

Bonnie's heart jumped. "I… Thanks."

He shrugged. "Just being honest."

Her brows furrowed. "I think you like shocking people. Taking them off guard." She nodded. "You like getting a reaction."

Leaning toward her, he asked, "Is that what I'm getting…? A reaction out of you."

Bonnie swallowed tightly. "I—"

" _Bonnie!_ "

Jumping in her seat, Bonnie's eyes darted away, landing on a frowning Elena, who was hurrying her way. "Hey… uh, Elena. What's up?"

Frowning, Elena took a seat on her other side. "Did you know about Stefan and Caroline?"

She blinked, a little surprised at the hostile tone. "Did I know what…?"

"That they're dating or _something_. I ran into her at the grocery store earlier. She was shopping with Eddy. I think they were having some kind of date night."

Bonnie paused. "Wait, is that why you left practice early?"

"No."

Unconvinced, Bonnie tipped her head to eye her skeptically. "The whole field heard Eddy tell Stefan she was going shopping with Caroline…"

"Fine," she sighed. "I just needed to know what was going on."

" _And?_ "

"And… I confronted her."

"Elena…" Bonnie blew out an exasperated breath.

"I know. It was stupid. I just… I was upset and it feels like every time I decide to talk to him, something interrupts. I just feel like if we had a real chance to talk we could figure this out." She frowned, running a hand back through her hair. "I mean, I get it, he likes her, but… He's only known her a few days. We have history together. I _love_ him, and I know he loves me too. This thing, with Caroline, I mean." She scoffed. "It's clearly a rebound, you know? It's not going to last. She's just a convenient distraction. But... He doesn't need one. I'm done with Matt and I'm ready to make a real commitment. I just need to tell him that."

Bonnie opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, a snort came from her left. Both she and Elena looked toward Damon, who was smirking once more, but there was something cold in his eyes that Bonnie hadn't seen before. A shiver ran down her back, spreading over her skin with a ripple of warning.

"I think that's my cue to exit." He knocked his knuckles on the bar and then looked between the two girls. "You ladies have a good night gossiping about Boy-Wonder." With that, he turned on his heel and strode away.

Grimacing, Bonnie watched him go and then turned back to Elena.

"Who was that?" Elena asked, confused.

"Damon Salvatore… Caroline's older brother."

"Oh my God…" Elena's head fell, along with her shoulders. "This day can't get any worse, I swear."

Shaking her head, Bonnie stared at her. "Listen, I should've said this before, but… I think you need to let Stefan go."

Elena's head popped back up. " _What?_ "

"He's happy, Elena. Happier than I've seen him in a _really_ long time, and I think this thing you're doing, how hard you're trying to get him back, I think that'll only mess things up. And, to be honest, I think it'll blow up in your face." She frowned. "I talked to Stefan. I asked him how he would feel if you wanted to get back together, just the two of you, and… He doesn't want to. I… I know you're upset and I know you still have feelings for him, but I really think you should let him go. For his sake and yours."

"Bonnie…" She sat back, stunned and hurt. "It's _Stefan_."

She nodded. "I know."

Huffing out a breath, Elena shoved off her seat. "I don't think you do. No offense, but… You've never been in love. You haven't felt what I have. I won't let him go. I _can't_."

With that, she walked away, and Bonnie was left to sit at the bar, alone and tired.

This so wasn't how she'd hoped her night would go.

* * *

 **…**

* * *

"You're sure you don't want to take some of that pasta home with you?" Stefan asked, as they crossed the porch and walked down the stairs.

"No, it's fine." She shook her head. "I can make pasta anytime. Keep it."

"I'll put some away for my mom. She never remembers to eat after a shift. The rest I'm sure Eddy will polish off." Tucking his hands in the pockets of his jeans, he walked with her to her car. "She had a lot of fun with you today. I'm glad you guys got some time to hang out together."

"She's really important to you, and I enjoyed myself. It's nice having someone to cook with. My brother and I used to, when I was younger, but… we haven't done that for a really long time."

"Sounds like you two have some catching up to do," he mused.

"Yeah, we do." She half-smiled. "Damon's difficult. He's… _mercurial_. One day he's the best brother I could ever ask for, and the next he's an unholy terror."

Stefan laughed. "Siblings are like that."

Caroline smiled. Digging her car keys out from her purse, she fiddled with them between her fingers. "I had fun tonight, and I'm looking forward to the football game tomorrow."

"Good. _Great_. Uh…" He grinned at her, searching her eyes. "I did too. Maybe next time we could do this without my little sister tagging along."

She tipped her head, and teased, "Are you trying to get me alone, Mister Forbes?"

"Honestly?" He laughed under his breath. "Yes, absolutely."

She bit her lip. "Good."

"Listen, Caroline, I…" He trailed off as she took a step toward him, and Caroline heard his heart stutter in his chest.

"Since we're not-so-tentatively dating, I don't think it's too far-fetched to expect a good night kiss." She stared up at him, her lips parted. "But if you need a little more time or…"

His hand brushed against hers, their fingers braiding together, and Caroline's voice faded away. "I am _more_ than okay with a goodnight kiss."

She laughed, smiling. "Well, good, because I'm definitely expecting one at this point."

Reaching his free hand up, his fingers skimmed along her cheek, and gently tucked her hair away. As he stepped forward, so did she, until they were chest to chest, and she was lifting up on the tips of her toes. Their noses brushed together as he stared down at her, and Caroline felt the barest touch of his lips against her own, his breath fanning over her mouth. For the first time in a hundred and forty-five years, she felt nervous about something as simple as a kiss. But then his mouth slanted over hers, warm and steady, and simple. And with a shaky exhale, she released every fear and every uncertainty from herself, and she leaned up into it, embracing the moment as it was, right then, embracing _them_.

Stefan's fingers stretched through her hair, coiling around it, like he was holding on, and then he kissed her a little harder, with a little more certainty that this was what he wanted, what _she_ wanted. Her hand slid up the front of his chest and teased over the fabric of his shirt, over the pounding of his heart. And she smiled, tongue dabbing at the seam of his lips until they opened, teeth lightly scraping at her bottom lip.

Caroline was pretty sure she could go on doing that for a whole lot longer, that she could lose herself in the way his fingers twitched in her hair when she did something he liked or how he hummed and pressed himself against her, until every inch of his body found purchase against her own. But then headlights flashed across them, reality forcing its way back in, and they broke apart, panting a little.

"Stefan?"

Blinking, he lifted his head, and turned toward the SUV slowing down on the street. "Uh, mom?"

"Mom!?" Caroline leaned back, wiping at her lips and turning to see who he was talking to.

An amused and smiling Sheriff Forbes stared back at her, lifting a hand from the steering wheel to wave at her. "Hi there. You must be Caroline… My daughter's told me a lot about you."

She waved awkwardly. "Oh, uh, yeah, hi, Sheriff Forbes."

Stefan rubbed a hand down the back of his neck. "You're off work early?"

"No, I've still got a while yet. I just thought I'd drop in, see how things were going here, but… Looks like you've got it handled."

Stefan rolled his eyes. "Okay, thanks, mom. _Bye_ …"

Grinning, she waved. "Bye, Stefan. Nice meeting you, Caroline. Hopefully next time, we'll get a chance to talk."

"Sure, that's be great," Caroline agreed, nodding.

"Make sure Eddy does her homework before bed," Sheriff Forbes added, then kissed her fingers and waved them to her son. "I'll see you tomorrow, love you."

"Love you too," he told her, nodding.

They watched the SUV drive off, tail lights slowly growing smaller.

"She seems nice," Caroline commented.

Stefan laughed. "She is." He turned toward her. "That wasn't… exactly how I imagined our first kiss ending."

Grinning, she shook her head. "I don't know. At least it's not forgettable."

"No?"

"No." Leaning up, she pressed one last lingering kiss to his lips, and then turned, pulling open her car door. "I'll see you at the game tomorrow. Tell Eddy to text me when she's ready to go."

"I will." He nodded, stepping up to the curb as she climbed in and drew the door closed behind her.

She smiled up at him through the window, and raised her hand in a wave as she turned the ignition.

And as she pulled away from the curb, she watched him grow smaller in her rear-view mirror, her fingers pressed to her lips.

Absolutely unforgettable.

* * *

 **…**

* * *

Outside Mystic Grill, Elena marched down the sidewalk, her arms crossed over her chest and her mind elsewhere. She'd planned on catching a ride home with Bonnie, but clearly that wasn't going to happen. Dragging in a deep breath, she let it out on a sigh, and ran her hands back over her head, smoothing them down her hair. A year ago, her life had been completely different. Her parents were alive, she had not one, but two, amazing boyfriends, the best friends a girl could ask for, she was top of her class, and she felt untouchable, on top of the world even. Now, all she had was Bonnie, and even she wasn't supporting her like she used to. Her parents were gone, her ex-boyfriends wanted nothing to do with her, her grades were slipping, and everything felt like it was just a mudslide of never-ending disappointment.

But she could fix it, she was sure she could. She just had to fix things with Stefan and everything else would fall into place. She'd study more and get back on the cheerleading squad, pick up her old friendships, and get back on top of things. Once her and Stefan figured things out, Bonnie would realize she was wrong, and they could go back to how they were before. Before Caroline and Lexi Salvatore breezed into town. Before her parents died. Before all this drama between Matt and Stefan. Before all of it.

Thumbs tucked in the loops of her jeans, she walked down the street, smiling to herself, and feeling pretty good about her decision. And then she heard a strange whistling sound coming from the alleyway just ahead of her. Brow furrowed, she walked toward it slowly, curiously. She reached into her purse for her phone when a trickle of apprehension ran down her spine, but her feet didn't slow. Just as she reached the mouth of the alley, she saw a flash of blue, and then white, and a man materialized from the shadows.

"It's Damon, right?" She shifted her feet. "Look, about earlier, what I said about Caroline…"

His mouth split in a grin, all bright white teeth with no humor to be found. "I get it. I'll even pass on the message that she's just a pretty little distraction."

Elena winced. "I didn't mean—"

"I know what you meant. Wasn't hard to figure out." He walked toward her, head tipped. "You do look _remarkably_ like her. It's almost eerie." He looked her figure over. "Unfortunately, I've never been a fan of knock offs. There's just something _missing_."

Elena's brows furrowed. "I— I don't understand…"

"That's okay. You don't have to. You won't even remember this."

"I... _What?_ " She took a wary step back.

Damon laughed. "Anyone ever tell you that you lack preservation skills? That's what makes you the _perfect_ prey."

Elena yanked her phone up then, but it felt from her hand when he rushed forward and grabbed her by the throat, pulling her into the shadows of the alley and pressing her against a cold, brick wall. Her heart hammered desperately in her chest as she stared up at his twisted, ghoulish face. Black veins crawled across his cheeks and his eyes had turned a gruesome blood red. Snarling at her, he showed of terrifyingly sharp fangs, and Elena let out a strangled whimper.

"For the record," he said, brushing a strand of loose hair from her cheek. "This isn't because your sad-sack of an ex-boyfriend is using my little sister to get over you. It's not even because you insulted her back there. Because if it was, that might mean some tiny shred of decency or humanity was still floating around in here, and it's not." He shook his head. "So this, this is because your _face_ is distracting. I spent a century and a half burying all the fucked up things I did in the name of _love_ , and all you do is remind me of my many, _many_ failures. Now…" He pressed his thumb against her chin, turning her head to the side to better offer himself her neck. "This is gonna hurt. _A lot_."

Elena screamed as his teeth broke through her skin, but it was my muffled by the press of his hand, and all she could do was struggle and cry and pray for him to stop. _Please, please, stop_. But he wouldn't; he didn't so much as hesitate.

In fact, it wasn't until her vision began to fade and her heart slowed that he finally dragged his mouth back and licked the blood still streaming down his chin, in sharp contrast to his pale skin. He tore open his own wrist with his teeth and pressed it to her mouth, until she was choking as she swallowed it back. Finally, he stared into her eyes and told her, "Clean yourself up and forget this ever happened."

And like a switch was flicked in her head, that was exactly what Elena did.

[ **next** : chapter nine.]

* * *

 **author's note** : _i've been asked a few times what's going on with elena, and what she thinks about the progression of steroline, so i hope this clears that up. she very much still has feelings for stefan, but as bonnie's pointed out before, it stems a lot from him deciding to move on. unlike matt, he wasn't willing to wait anymore, and she felt like she was losing someone she thought would always be there, so she's holding on tighter. unfortunately for her, her chance with stefan has passed._

 _to clear up that moment with elena and damon where he says he's not attacking her because of caroline, he's partly lying (both to her and himself). he doesn't want to care, but part of his lashing out at elena is because he's defending his sister. which is no excuse, obviously, but he still has some growth to do when it comes to valuing human life._

 _some reviewers have asked about who bonnie might be with and whether delena will happen. for the record, bonnie/damon is a main pairing. they'll be explored more as the story progresses. he and elena won't have anything romantic between them._

 _thanks for reading. hope you enjoyed it! please try to leave a review!_

 **\- lee | fina**


	9. hope

**warning(s)** : violence, coarse language, minor character death  
 **chapter rating** : pg-13/teen  
 **word count** : 8,199

* * *

 **-9-**

"You look _chipper_ this morning."

Caroline slowed in her crossing of the kitchen and turned to see Damon sitting at the island, grinning at her. He pushed a spare mug toward her and said, "Your favorite, nice and warm, like mother would make… if she was alive, and wasn't a radical vampire hater like dear old dad."

Rolling her eyes, she reached over and scooped up the mug of warm blood. "What's this for?" she wondered, eyes narrowed on him.

"What? I can't make my favorite sister breakfast? What kind of heartless, _fiendish_ brother do you take me for?"

Snorting, she sipped at the blood, humming as it warmed her throat.

"I made coffee too. And I found some particularly delicious croissants in the pantry, so I put one on this plate with a little raspberry garnish. See." He pushed the plate toward her.

Brow furrowed now, she put a hand to her hip. "What did you _do?_ "

"Always so _negative_." He shook his head in mock disappointment. "Anyway, if I _did_ do anything, I learned my lesson from last time. There's no clean up and no witnesses." He smirked. "Just the way you like it."

"What I _like_ is no _victims._ "

With a scoff, he said, "Where's the fun in that?"

" _Damon_ …"

"Hey, question, since you're going to the big _game_ tonight to cheer on Boy Wonder, maybe I can tag along, hang out with everyone, make it a real _family_ event. We can even ask Gail and Zach to come. It'll be the most Salvatores in one place in _decades_. Especially with our honorary sister there too."

"You're not going tonight." She shook her head. "I know you. You'll make a spectacle."

Pressing a hand to his chest, he scoffed. "You really think so little of me?"

"I think you're bored and looking for a way to get back at me, and I don't want to find out what you'll do. If you don't want to be here, you can leave." She waved a hand toward the door. "Nobody's stopping you."

He grinned, and then pushed up from the stool. Trailing his hand over the top of the island, he circled around it to face her. "The only reason I'm here is because of you. Remember that later."

Frowning up at him, Caroline shook her head. "You're here for yourself, I'm just a really convenient scapegoat for your issues." Pushing past him, she walked toward the door. "Stay out of trouble, Damon."

But as the door swung closed behind her, she heard him reply, "I'd rather not."

Sighing, her shoulders slumped with defeat.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"So what do you think about this Caroline character?" Liz wondered, sitting back at her desk, a file open in front of her.

Sprawled out on her stomach atop a couch pressed against the wall, Eddy looked up from her book. "She's cool. Nice, funny, super pretty. She's really smart too. She doesn't talk to me like I'm a little kid."

"You _are_ a kid."

"Sure, but I'm not a _little_ kid." Eddy rolled her eyes. "Anyway, Stefan goes all _heart eyes_ around her, it's funny. He writes about her a lot in his journal too, just a bunch of mushy junk."

" _Edith_ …" Liz shook her head. "You can't read your brother's journal."

"Why? You read it a bunch after the divorce and he wouldn't talk to you about stuff." She shrugged. "An investigator should use everything at her disposal."

"What I did was an invasion of privacy. It's no excuse, but I was worried about him. _You're_ just looking for good blackmail material."

"What kind of future sheriff do you take me for?" she cried in feigned indignation.

Amused, Liz rolled her eyes. "What I take you for is a curious little sister. But I'm serious, stop reading his journals; they're private."

" _Fine_ …" She grinned then. "They kissed though, and according to Stefan, he's never felt anything like it." Wiggling her eyebrows, she laughed.

Liz ducked her head to hide her smile. "I know. I might've accidentally interrupted them."

" _Accidentally?_ " Eddy snorted.

"I think you knew exactly what was going to happen when you texted to tell me Caroline was over and made dinner for everyone. Which, I think we'll have to ask her for the recipe for, because that pasta was _amazing_."

"We made it from scratch," Eddy boasted, looking quite proud of herself. "I brought you some for lunch too." Rolling herself off the couch, she walked over to her backpack and dug around in it before coming back with a plastic container, a fork, and some saran-wrapped garlic bread.

"Thank you," Liz said, warmly. "You wanna put it in the fridge for me? I'll have it in a little while." She scrawled her name onto the bottom of the report, and then asked, "What time are you heading over to the game?"

Putting away the food in the mini fridge Liz kept in her office, Eddy looked up from where she was crouched. "I texted Caroline this morning. She said she'd pick me up whenever I wanted. She's bringing Lexi and Sarah to the game too."

"So you'll be sitting with her the whole game?"

"Yup! I already packed some fruit and snacks and water. Plus, if the game gets boring, I've got two books."

"Just two?" Liz teased.

"I ran out of room." Eddy shrugged.

"Uh-huh. Well, what about _after_ the game? Is everyone still hanging out then?"

"I think Stefan said something about going to get a late dinner. So we'll probably head over to the Grill…" Her gaze wandered off thoughtfully. "Maybe Matt will play pool with me. I'm getting better, Stefan said so."

"Okay. Just check in with me after the game, okay? Let me know how everything went."

"Are you gonna drop by?"

"I'm going to try. A good chunk of the town will be at the game, so we have a few people stationed there to keep the peace. If things go smoothly, I should be able to stop in."

"Cool." Eddy climbed into one of the chairs in front of Liz's desk. "Hey, got any fun cases you need some fresh eyes on?" she wondered.

Amused, Liz dug around in her pile. "Let's find out…"

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Sarah looked up at the knock on her door. "Come in!" she called.

Caroline walked inside, her cardigan and shoes on and her purse looped over her shoulder. "Are you guys almost ready?"

"Well, Pipsqueak? Are we?" Lexi asked from her perch in the bay window, legs outstretched and crossed at the ankle, and a magazine laid open in her lap. The afternoon sun dappled across her hair, giving her an ethereal glow.

"Just about." Pushing up from her desk chair, Sarah walked to her closet and dug out a pair of boots to pair with her wool socks. "Are you sure you'll be warm enough? It gets pretty cold at night."

"We're practically cold blooded." Lexi grinned. Kicking her legs off the window bench, she stood and strolled toward them. "So, _mom_ , did you pack snacks?"

Rolling her eyes, Caroline unlatched her bag. "I did. I brought a few different things. I picked up some strawberries yesterday, while Eddy and I were shopping, _specifically_ for you. So I have some of those, some blood bags to drink on the way there, I grabbed some chocolate because I have a craving, there's some trail mix, carrot sticks, granola bars, and two oranges. _Oh!_ And I picked you up some peanut butter cups, Sarah. I forgot to tell you last night."

"Cool! Thanks!" Pulling on her jacket, Sarah flipped her ponytail out from under it. "Okay, I'm ready to go."

"Great. We just need to let your parents know we're heading out."

"I'll tell them," Sarah offered, walking ahead. "I gotta talk to mom anyway. She wanted me to remind her she's got some crochet class tonight."

"Okay, we'll meet you at the car." Caroline closed her purse then and looked to Lexi. "What's up? You look like you need to talk…"

Lexi shrugged, tucking her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket. "I ran into someone yesterday."

On alert, Caroline frowned and stepped toward her. "Someone we know?"

"Not exactly… You know Sheila Bennett? Bonnie's grandmother."

Her brow furrowed. "I know _of_ her. Bonnie said she'd be willing to talk to me about the whole occult thing."

"Yeah, well… I decided to follow her."

"What? _When?_ "

"Yesterday, while you were at school. I just wanted to make sure she was the real deal, and not evil or something." She shrugged. "She seems to check out. I let her know we just want to talk, you want to put your past behind you, easy."

"And she was okay with that?"

" _Well_ … She did fry my brain a bit. Mostly, she said we should stay away from Bonnie. I told her you two were friends, but I don't think she cares much. You know vampires and witches don't mix. I'm surprised Bonnie's been this receptive so far."

"She's not a witch, or at least not yet. I think she's just coming into her powers."

"A little late for that, isn't it?"

"I don't know how early they start training, but it does seem a little late, and not as covert as it should be. Bonnie's been pretty honest about how crazy she thinks her Grams is. She has no idea that anything supernatural exists. She'd rather think Sheila drinks too much."

"Well, she's in for a rude awakening." Lexi snorted.

"Maybe. I hope not. If we can get this Katherine business figured out quick, maybe we can leave this place intact, along with Bonnie's blissful ignorance."

With a shrug, Lexi said, "We're not the only vampires around, Carebear. But we're probably the nicest. Better for her to cut her teeth on us than some of the others we've met."

Sighing, Caroline muttered, "Maybe." She frowned then. "You're right though. There are a lot of us out there and, fortunately, Bonnie's safer than most. You can't compel a witch…"

Lexi tipped her head knowingly. "What are you gonna do? Load up everyone you meet with vervain?"

"Not everyone. Just a few important ones."

With a defeated sigh, Lexi said, "All right. I'll help."

Caroline grinned. "You always do."

"Yeah, yeah."

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Eddy exited the Sherriff's office at a jog, her backpack trailing from one hand as she hurried toward Caroline's car. She barely skidded to a halt before she yanked the door open and hopped into the back.

"In a hurry, Sheriff?" Lexi asked.

"Just excited. Did you know they set a dummy of the rival team on _fire?_ " She grinned. "Pyrotechnics is a hobby of mine."

With a shrug, Lexi said, "As long as it's a controlled fire, I guess."

"The fire department will be there, and so will some of my mom's deputies, just in case people go crazy. One year, there were streakers." She frowned. "They were tackled on the field and then one of the moms in the stands tried to sue the department for emotional distress. She lost."

"I remember that. There was a town meeting and everything." Sarah rolled her eyes. "She said her entire family was traumatized and wanted compensation for future counseling."

Lexi snorted. "Sounds like these games are pretty eventful."

"They're all right." Eddy shrugged. "Are we gonna eat before or after the game? I told my mom after, but I don't know if the plan changed…"

"I brought snacks for the game, but we'll probably get dinner after," Caroline said, nodding. "Are you hungry?"

"A little."

Digging in her purse with one hand, Caroline produced a granola bar and one of the oranges. "Here. You said you liked the oatmeal chocolate ones, right?"

"Yup!" Eddy took them from her outstretched hand and put the orange in her lap as she tore open the granola bar.

"Hey, Sheriff, how do you feel about jewelry?" Lexi wondered, shifting in her seat up front to better see the young girl.

Eddy pursed her lips thoughtfully as she chewed. "I don't know. I wear earrings sometimes. Why?"

"I was going through my things and I found this really cool necklace I thought you might like." She held it up so the locket swung at the end. "I got it last year in New York from this really old store, and the person who sold it to me said that it protects people from the undead. Since you're prepping for that whole zombie apocalypse thing…"

" _Cool!_ " Sitting forward in her seat, Eddy cupped a hand under it and brought it forward. "It smells nice." She hesitated. "You're sure I can have it?"

"It's all yours!"

Biting her lip as she smiled, Eddy tugged the necklace loose from Lexi's fingers and dragged the chain over her head, letting it rest against her chest. "Thanks!"

"You're welcome."

Lexi looked to Caroline, who nodded covertly.

"Now let's go watch some football!" Lexi exclaimed, reaching over to honk the horn as they passed a crowd of people on the sidewalk, dressed in Timberwolves colors with their faces painted. The crowd cheered back at her, and Lexi laughed.

"School pride," she told Caroline when she frowned at her.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"Elena!" Bonnie hurried to catch up to her friend, catching her by the shoulder and swinging her around to face her. "Hey! I've been texting you all day, you haven't answered any of them."

Rolling her eyes, Elena shrugged. "I wasn't ready to talk."

"Are you seriously still upset about last night?" Bonnie frowned, a hand on her hip. "Look, I'm sorry if what I said hurt you, but I meant it… This thing with you and Stefan, it needs to end. You're miserable and you're holding on to someone who's already let you go and… I'm _worried_ about you. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I _am_ hurt!" Elena crossed her arms over her chest. "Before you became friends with Caroline, you were supportive, you understood how I felt about Stefan and you were helping me get through things."

"This has nothing to do with Caroline." Bonnie shook her head. "I mean, yes, she's dating Stefan, but that's not why I'm telling you to let him go. It's because he already has. He's moved on. Everything that happened with Matt, it's too much. It broke up one of his best friendships and he's only just mending things now. I know you care about him, maybe even love him, but your relationship hurt him. And I think there's been enough of that."

Blowing out a long breath, Elena stared out into the crowd as she chewed her lip. "Maybe you're right, but I still think things could be different now. Matt's not a part of things anymore and I think if it was just me and Stefan—"

"There _is_ no you and Stefan," Bonnie interrupted. "I'm sorry, but seriously…" She reached for Elena's shoulders and turned her. "He's with Caroline now. _Look_ at him. Look at how _happy_ he is."

Elena shrugged to get her shoulders free, but continued to stare at the two people standing together in the middle of the crowd. Stefan's fingers were delicately coiled in Caroline's hair, his thumb stroking along her jaw, as he smiled down at her with a look on his face that Elena remembered well from the beginning of their own relationship. A look that had faded over time. One that she desperately missed.

"I know it hurts, but it's time to let go."

Elena heard Bonnie's voice distantly, but all of her attention was focused on the image before her. Of a laughing Stefan leaning down to kiss someone that wasn't her, and she felt her heart crack in her chest.

"I have to go." She spun on her heels and walked away, ignoring Bonnie's worried call of her name. Squeezing her eyes closed to get rid of the sting of tears, she hugged her arms around herself and walked a little faster. Maybe Bonnie was right, maybe she did need to let Stefan go. But just because she _should_ didn't mean she _would_.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"So we're still on for dinner after this?" Stefan wondered, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles as he held her hand. "Mystic Grill might not have your _culinary_ skills, but I have a feeling most don't."

Caroline laughed, leaning over to bump her shoulder against his. "I already told Eddy we would. She's pretty much challenged everybody she meets to a game of pool. She's on Matt's team, so I hope he's planning on being there."

Laughing under his breath, he nodded. "He will be."

"Good. _So_ …" She looked up at him. "Excited for the game?"

"Excited, nervous, pretty much how I feel before _every_ game."

"Well, I'm sure you'll do great out there. I don't know how well the other team plays—"

"We've never beaten them," he admitted.

"That's the spirit!" she joked.

Grinning, he ducked his head. "Well, either way, I'm more looking forward to after the game… I know you're spending all of tomorrow with the girls, going on that shopping trip, so I want to get in as much time as I can tonight."

"Yeah?" Turning to stand in front of him, she reached up, brushing her fingers down his neck. "Any particular reason?"

His gaze fell to her lips and then lifted back up to her eyes. "I can think of a few."

Caroline smiled. "Just a few?"

"You want me to be more creative?"

She nodded. "I like creative…"

"Hey, sorry to interrupt, but, uh, can I steal her for a second?"

Blinking, they leaned back from each other, and turned to see Bonnie standing next to them. She shrugged. "Sorry. Matt's looking for you though," she told Stefan. "I saw him carrying Eddy on his shoulders, headed toward the concession. You know how he is. He'll buy her all the candy she asks for."

Grimacing, he nodded. "I better go find them." He squeezed Caroline's hand. "I'll see you later."

"Okay." She smiled as he walked backwards a few feet before eventually turning around to leave. With a long sigh, she turned to Bonnie. "I'm pathetic."

Bonnie laughed. "Just a little."

"Bon- _nie_ , you're supposed to tell me I'm not."

"I make it a rule not to lie to my friends." She snorted. "Anyway, I just wanted to talk to you about things with Elena… I know they're a little rocky right now."

"I'm pretty sure that friendship set sail before it ever really started." She frowned. "I'm sorry, that probably puts you in a really awkward position. She's your best friend and I'm dating her ex…"

"It's awkward, but I'll live." Bonnie shrugged. "She's just in a weird place right now. After everything with her parents, I think she's trying to hold on to what's familiar, and right now, that's Stefan. I'm sure if Matt was moving on, she'd react the same way, but he isn't, so all of her focus is on who she knows she can't have. Ugh, that sounds awful. Elena really is a good person. She's just had a rough yeah."

"Yeah, no, I get it." Caroline nodded.

"Anyway, I just wanted to check in. It can't be easy for you either, just starting a new relationship and there's all this baggage."

"Like you said, I'll survive." She smiled. "Anyway, is that all you wanted to talk about? You look a little jittery. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Just, I… I don't know. I've been feeling weird. All day today and yesterday, I've just been kind of obsessed with numbers."

"Obsessed how?" Caroline's brow furrowed.

"They just keep running through my head. 8, 14, 22. It's like… It feels like a _warning_."

"Really?"

"Yeah…" She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "It's weird, I'm weird, just ignore me."

"No." Caroline turned to her seriously. "If something's bugging you, we should talk about it."

"It's not bugging me, not exactly. It's just… I keep thinking about what my Grams said, about, you know, _being a witch_."

"Okay." She nodded. "So, do you think she's right, or…?"

"No, I mean, she can't be… right? Witches aren't real." She laughed awkwardly, her eyes darting away.

"A lot of thing aren't real until they are." Caroline stared at her searchingly. "If you are, and I'm not saying that you are, but… If you were different, if there was something about you that was different, I want you to know that I would support you." She smiled then. "Witch, vampire, _zombie_ … I've got your back, Bonnie Bennett."

Bonnie broke out into a smile. " _Ha, ha_." She shook her head. "Anyway, let's talk about something else."

"Sure," Caroline agreed. "Like how great you look in this outfit, maybe. Look at those _legs!_ You've been holding out! When we go shopping tomorrow, we're getting you more skirts."

Bonnie laughed. "I can work with that."

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

The party was well underway as night fell and the crowd of eager football fans moved toward a small stand set up for the Coach's pre-game speech. Bonnie hurried ahead to meet up with her fellow cheerleaders while Caroline, Lexi, Sarah and Eddy all clustered together off to the side. Stefan stood with the other football players, shoulder to shoulder with Matt and Tyler, while Coach Tanner fiddled with the microphone.

The fire had recently been set to the football dummy, which was holding all of Eddy's attention, and Caroline cast another quick look around, in search of a familiar, trouble-making face. She hadn't seen Damon — _yet_ —but she had seen a whole lot of drunk teenagers, not so covertly walking around with solo cups. A handful of deputies were walking the perimeter and keeping an eye out, but not otherwise doing much to intervene.

As the crowd cheered excitedly, Coach Tanner waved his arms to get them to quiet down. "Now, let's be honest here. In the past, we used to let other teams come into our town and roll right over us!" The crowd booed. "But that is about to change! We've worked hard this year to get everyone up to where they need to be, we've got a strong offensive line, and it's time that we put a check in the win column! I have only one thing to say to you, your Timberwolves are _hungry_!" Cheers rang out. "And the Central High Lions are what's for dinner!"

"This is clichéd enough, I might barf," Lexi muttered against Caroline's ear.

She snorted in reply, but then caught sight of something in the distance. A flash of black and white and the gleam of a bright, unmistakable _blue_.

"Did you see that?" She turned her head, searching him out. "I saw Damon."

"What? Where?" Lexi scanned the crowd with her, brow furrowed. "You think he'll cause trouble tonight?"

Caroline sighed. "Just to spite me? _Yeah_."

Lexi nodded. "I'll find him. You stay here."

"No, we should both look. Eddy can stay with Sarah." She turned to her niece, who nodded. "Whoever finds him first lets the other know."

"Deal."

Tapping Eddy's shoulder, Caroline let her know she was just going to go find her brother and would be back before the game starts. "Here, you can hold my bag. If you want any snacks, there's a ton in there. I'll be back soon. Save me a seat?"

Already going through Caroline's bag for anything of the chocolate persuasion, Eddy nodded absently. "Sure!"

Splitting off in the opposite direction of Lexi, Caroline began her search, and hoped she'd find her brother before he did anything she couldn't fix.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"You guys see Gilbert? Practically falling out of that truck, he was so drunk," Tyler snorted, pulling his jersey on over his shoulder gear.

Matt shook his head as he laced up his shoes. "Kid's falling apart."

"Yeah, maybe his aunt'll send him somewhere to sober up. He can quit chasing your sister then."

Scowling, Matt raised an eyebrow. "What's your deal with my sister anyway? I've been hearing things."

"Yeah, what kind of things?"

"Like you two are hooking up in the woods." He frowned up at him. "If you like Vicki, Ty, then be with her. But don't pull your usual bullshit. She's not some game for you to play around with until you get bored."

"Vicki knows how things are. We're not serious."

"Yeah?" Standing from the bench, Matt stared him down. "You break my sister's heart, I'm gonna break your arm."

Half-grinning, Tyler nodded. "Duly noted. Now can we focus on the game?"

Matt lingered a moment longer, to drive his point home, but eventually nodded.

"You two all right?" Stefan wondered, as he stepped back from his locker, pulling his jersey up his arms.

"Perfect. Just got a little extra steam we need to work off. We'll get it out on the field," Tyler told him.

"Good. Take it out on Central." He drew his jersey over his head and pulled it down over his gear. "We got a game to win."

"Look at you…" Matt cracked a grin. "Somebody's jazzed 'cause he's got his girl watching him."

"You finally lock things down with Caroline?" Tyler asked, brows hiked in surprise.

"They're officially dating," Matt told him, looking amused.

Tyler snorted. "Yeah? You gonna give her your class ring next week?"

"Shut up." Stefan rolled his eyes, but his mouth twitched with a smile.

" _Stefan and Caroline, sittin' in a tree, b-o-n-e-i-n-g._ "

"There's no 'e' in boning," Matt told him. "Wait… is there?"

Stefan snorted before turning his back on his idiot friends.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Caroline was just coming around the corner leading to the locker rooms outside of the football field when she heard the clapping. Spine straightening, she turned on her heel to face him, a brow arched as her brother walked out of the shadows to meet her.

"You know, I have to say, you really blend in with human mediocrity when you want to… Out there playing den mother to the boyfriend's little sister, besties with the pretty little witch, and now here you are, trying to keep the masses safe from the big bad wolf." He grinned, flashing pearly white teeth at her. "Don't you ever get tired of it? Playing normal and average and _boring_?"

"What I get tired of is cleaning up after you." Standing a little taller, she peered up at him. "What are you doing here?" she wondered. "You said you wouldn't hurt anyone."

He raised a finger in argument. "I said I wouldn't eat your _friends_ , and I haven't. I've left little Eddy and Stefan and Bon-Bon completely alone."

Caroline searched his face, a thread of dread spinning through her. "Who did you hurt? _Damon,_ I'm serious!"

He shrugged. "You know, alleys are so dark, it's hard to see _who_ you're feeding on these days."

Baring her teeth at him, she snarled.

Holding his hands up in surrender, he laughed. "Okay, calm down. I might've taken a _tiny_ nibble out of the Gilbert knock-off last night."

Sighing, she raised a hand to rub at her forehead. " _Why?_ "

"I felt like it." Her scrunched up his face. "Also she's annoying. Whiny and bratty and—"

"Really? That doesn't remind you of anyone?"

"Hey, Katherine might've been a little... _demanding_. But at least she did it with _flare_."

Caroline frowned, her gaze falling away for a moment. "Is that why you did it? Because she reminded you of Katherine?"

He scoffed. "You know, eventually, you're going to have to try singing a different tune, because this one is getting worn out."

"Are you trying to tell me Katherine isn't the reason for most of why you do what you do?"

"I'm trying to tell you she was, _occasionally_ , a very good excuse. But it's been 145 years. I can't hold her death against you forever. You didn't purposely steal her from me. You _did_ , however, force me to go on living when I didn't want to. And then abandoned me when I didn't live that eternity out to your liking. And _then_ left me in the hands of sociopathic bigots that tortured me for years… _That_ I think I'll hold against you."

"I don't think you do," she said, tilting her chin up defiantly. "You said you came here because I wasn't answering your calls and I think you were telling the truth. You say you hate that I check up on you, but you love it. You _want_ me to care, and you hate the idea that I don't. You came here because you _missed_ me. Because, even if I did force you to turn, you're glad you're alive today. And even on your worst day, even with your humanity off, you know that I will _always_ be here for you. That I will always _believe_ in you. And you _want_ me to, Damon. You want to know that there is still something in you worth saving, and that I see it."

His snarky good-humor faded from his face.

"Hey, what are you two doing back here? This area's off limits! Players and staff only!" Coach Tanner's familiar voice called out. "The game's about to start, get to your seats."

"It's a nice idea, I'll give you that," Damon said, staring down at her. "But I never asked you to save me, and frankly…" He whispered, " _I don't think you can_." He flashed away from her then, and threw himself at Coach Tanner, burying his mouth at his neck and tearing into his jugular, severing it completely. Blood spilled down the front of him, and it was over within seconds.

Tanner fell to the ground in a lifeless heap and a smirking, triumphant Damon, turned back to face her. "Anyone, any time, any place," he told her, baring his bloody teeth.

Caroline's expression coiled with anger, and her teeth lengthened, but before she could do much more than sneer at him, Lexi flashed into appearance beside her, a hand on her arm, holding her back. "We need to go."

"Listen to our sister," Damon mocked. "This is one mess you can't clean up."

Lexi tugged on her arm, and then turned a glare on Damon. "He'll get his, when the time's right."

Caroline glanced once more at the body of the expired history teacher and then raised her eyes to Damon's. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I can't."

She let Lexi pull her away before Damon could reply, but she saw the almost imperceptible flinch in his face.

Or maybe that was just a trick of the light, and she really was just desperate enough to keep hoping for a brother she'd lost long ago.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"Where the hell is Tanner?" Matt wondered. "Game's gonna start any second, we need to get on the field…"

"He's MIA. I think he had a little too much beer," Tyler replied. "You should check out back. He likes to smoke when he's drunk. I've seen him there before."

Sighing, Matt stood from the bench. "Get the rest of the team together, I'll find Tanner."

"You got it." Closing his locker, Tyler walked off, shouting for their teammates to line up.

Matt made his way to the back exit and walked outside. It was dark, lit only by a few lamp posts, leaving large areas shrouded in shadows. The night air had a cold bite to it that he could feel sinking through his thin shirt. He was eager to get on the field and get moving so he'd be too warm to feel it.

"Coach?" he called out, casting his eyes around and squinting at the darker areas. "Hey, Coach, you out here? Game's starting…"

He walked down the building, searching for any sign of Tanner, but other than a few parked vehicles, there was nothing to be found. Just as he was about to give up, he saw it. A car had blocked his view before, but as he walked closer, he could see the body sprawled out on the pavement, blood pooled around his neck, his Timberwolves cap still halfway on his head.

Matt's heart jumped and then leapt up into his throat; he choked on it for a second before quickly turning on his heel and lunging back toward the locker room. "Somebody help!" he yelled, fear and shock biting at his heels.

His collective teammates were crowded around the room, and the adrenaline he'd been hoping to work up on the field was suddenly burning its way through his veins for a whole different reason. "Coach is hurt," he announced gravely. "Call an ambulance!"

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Caroline had seen her fair share of bodies in her long life time, but this felt different. Or maybe it was the circumstances that led to the death that was leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. Either way, Tanner was dead, and now it was just a matter of waiting for the news to trickle out to everyone else.

Eddy was sipping at a cup of hot chocolate while she leaned against Sarah and helped her fill out a crossword puzzle she'd brought along, perfectly unaware of just how dangerous the world around her truly was. A small part of Caroline envied her innocence.

"Here."

Caroline turned her head as Lexi took a seat next to her on the stands, and looked down at the cup she was handing her. "What is it?"

"Coffee, mixed with a little B-positive, thought it might help."

Mustering a smile, she accepted the cup and sipped it.

"It's not your fault."

"Isn't it?" Caroline shook her head. "I keep saying I can handle him, but… I _don't_. I just let him do whatever he wants."

"He's your brother. You can't exactly open war on him," Lexi reminded, bumping her shoulder gently.

"Then what do I do?" Her brow furrowed as she looked up at her oldest friend. "How do I stop this from happening again?"

Lexi sighed. "We'll figure it out, okay? If that means vervaining him and sticking him in a closet, then we will. We'll bring his dumb ass around to reason and smack him around a bit just for fun. Okay?"

Caroline laughed, shaking her head. "Okay."

She could hear the sirens now, growing louder, and a murmur grew in the crowd as the stands filled with worry and speculation.

Looking up from the crossword puzzle, Eddy frowned in the direction the ambulance was coming from, and then looked up to Caroline. "Can we go check it out?"

"Why don't we wait a little bit? We don't want to get in anyone's way. If someone's hurt…"

"Yeah, it's probably one of those drunk idiots in the parking lot. They probably fell off of something," Lexi added.

Eddy nodded, but her eyes tracked the progress of the ambulance all the same. Her face fell when it came to a stop behind the locker rooms. "What if it's Stefan?" she worried, looking up at Caroline, panic clear in her voice.

"I'm sure it isn't. But we can try calling—"

"He turns his phone off at games." She shook her head and stood from her seat. "We have to go see!"

"Eddy…" Caroline stood from her seat and handed her coffee back to Lexi. "Wait for me."

Together, they made their way down the stands and started toward the locker rooms. Caroline could already see cop cars coming down the road, and if she extended her ears, she could hear the paramedics calling it in to the coroner's office.

"Hey, slow down, okay, we don't know why they're here or what you might see," Caroline said, reaching for Eddy's shoulder.

"I've looked at crime scene pictures, I know what a dead body looks like," she defended.

"What you see in pictures and real life are different things. And we don't know _what_ is over there, so just… Stay behind me, okay?"

Eddy hesitated, casting her eyes forward, to where all the flashing lights were, and then back to Caroline. She frowned, looking ready to argue, but eventually nodded, and let Caroline take the lead. As they made their way around the corner, they came to a stop. Tanner was still laid out on the pavement, on his back now, while a paramedic spread out a white sheet to cover him from head to toe.

"That's Coach Tanner," Eddy said quietly, her hand furled in the fabric of Caroline's cardigan.

"Yeah," Caroline murmured.

"I want my brother," she decided, turning her gaze upward.

Caroline nodded. "Okay." She reached back, an arm around Eddy's shoulders, and pulled her against her side. "We'll find him."

"Caroline?"

She turned at the voice, and found Matt Donovan just behind her, his brow furrowed. "Matt, hey. Uh, Eddy was worried something might've happened to Stefan," she explained.

He nodded, his expression softening as he looked down at the young girl. "Stefan's fine, Ed. Coach got… attacked. They think it's whatever got Vicki in the woods. Animal control should be here soon, but… It might not be safe. You shouldn't be around here."

"I'm not going anywhere until I see Stefan," she told him firmly.

Mouth hitching up faintly, he nodded. "All right, just gimme a minute to find him."

Before he could walk past them, Caroline reached out, touching his arm gently. "Are you okay? You look a little pale."

Matt grimaced. "Fine. Just… I found him. Still sinking in, I guess."

Caroline shook her head. "I'm sorry," she murmured sincerely.

He nodded. "I'll let Stefan know you're out here. Don't wander off. We don't know how far it got."

"Okay."

As he left, Caroline walked Eddy over across the street to stand against another building, in clear view of the back door of the locker room. People were collecting on the sidewalk and the police were taping off the area to keep the crime scene intact.

"You heard what Matt said, right? Stefan's fine," she reminded Eddy, rubbing her shoulder soothingly.

"Do you think it's weird?" she wondered, eyes set on the covered body.

"What's weird?"

"That an animal would come this far in from the woods… That it would attack someone so close to other people… Even at the party, there was so much noise, you'd think that'd spook it."

"Maybe it's rabid," Caroline suggested. "Doesn't know any better."

"Maybe." Eddy's brow wrinkled thoughtfully.

Caroline bit her lip; she could practically _smell_ the suspicion setting in.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

Lexi and Sarah stood apart from the rest, watching as the flashing red and blue lights collected on the scene, as the crowd grew larger with grim curiosity. The opposing team had already loaded onto their bus to take their leave and what began as an exciting night had ended in tragedy and bloodshed.

"Well, I don't know about you, but this pretty much killed any school spirit I had," Lexi muttered, hands tucked in the pockets of her jacket.

Sarah frowned. "Is this how things are going to be from now on? He's just going to murder whoever he likes because he feels like it?"

Sighing, Lexi hung a comforting arm around her shoulders. "No. Because we're not going to _let_ it be like that." Rubbing her arm, she said, "Come on. Let's find your aunt and get out of here. When we get home, I'll make you some hot chocolate and we can marathon whatever cheesy, teen soap-opera you want, okay?"

"Even the one with the vampires that you hate?" Sarah wondered, half-smiling.

Lexi rolled her eyes. "Even that."

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

"Hey!" Stefan came to a halt just short of them, his eyes darting between Caroline and Eddy. "You guys shouldn't be here, seeing this. An arm around each of them, he led them away from the crime scene and the still body of his Coach as he was being loaded into a black bag and carried toward the Coroner's van.

Caroline shifted to face him, her arm tucked low around his back. "Eddy was worried when she saw the ambulance," Caroline told him.

"I'm fine," he assured, and then looked down at his sister, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly. "Everybody else is fine, seriously. I triple-checked. What happened to the Coach was… bizarre and unfortunate, but it was also isolated. At least so far."

"That's two in a week." Eddy pursed her lips. "That's weird. I've been looking into animal behavior and nothing that's local around here should do this."

Stefan ran an affectionate hand over her head. "All right, Sheriff, put the badge away for a little while, huh?" He stared at her a moment, and then sighed. "It's late, the game was called off indefinitely, mom's headed over here to talk to animal control… I think it's time to pack it in."

"Agreed," Caroline said, drawing her cardigan a little tighter around herself.

Turning to her, he asked, "Raincheck on dinner?"

She smiled. "Sure. I think unexpected death is a pretty good reason." Expression softening, she reached out, resting a hand on his chest. "I'm sorry that you lost your Coach. Whatever happened tonight, he didn't deserve it."

Covering her hand with his own, he rubbed his thumb across her knuckles. "Thank you."

" _Caroline!_ "

All three of them turned, following the voice, and found Sarah and Lexi waving to them from across the field, near the parking lot.

"I should go. We have an early day tomorrow." Caroline frowned. "Have you seen Bonnie?"

"No, I haven't." He shook his head. "I'll call her, see if she's all right."

"Okay." Caroline glanced at Eddy and then back to him before she leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "If you need to talk, call me. Any time," she insisted, before stepping back. "We'll talk soon, hey, Eddy? We can set up a day to get some cooking in."

"Sure," she answered, nodding, but her focus was still back toward the crime scene. At Stefan's gentle prodding of her shoulder, she looked back to Caroline. "Thanks for bringing me out."

"Any time." Readjusting her bag on her shoulder, Caroline smiled up at him. "See you Monday?"

"Yeah. Have fun tomorrow."

"Thanks." She lingered a few seconds longer, but after another call from her sister and cousin, she turned and finally started walking toward them.

Stefan watched her go, and wished the night had ended on a much happier note.

* * *

 **[…]**

* * *

There was a part of Damon that greatly enjoyed watching the fallout of his actions. The scurrying of all the little humans to see what had happened and clean up the mess of one less person in their midst. He stood from afar, watching his sister play dumb, looking confused and worried alongside the new beau's little sister. And he thought about her face in those few, hopeful moments, when she was trying to reach him, to push through all the worst between them and find that humanity switch buried deep inside. And if he were being honest, which he wasn't always a fan of, she was close. There was a moment when she was looking up at him, telling him she'd always be there, always believe in him, that he felt his heart _shift_. Which was why he had to counter her words with actions. The kind that would open up that chasm between them just a little wider. Because he wasn't ready for Saint Caroline to save him, to drag him back into that pit of concern and worry and _caring_.

He was ready to leave, turning his back on the chaotic scene where police blotters were chattering about rabid animals on the loose. He walked down the side of a building, intent on finding something better to eat —the Coach had left a sour taste in his mouth—, but just as he was ready to race away, he heard a sniffle, and then a hiccup.

Leaning against a cement wall, her hands on her knees, Bonnie Bennett was half-bent over, struggling to catch her breath, and shaking like a leaf.

The up-and-coming Bennett witch was a curious creature. He couldn't compel her and if he tried taking a bite out of her, her family would rain hell down on him. Not to mention his own sister. But there was something about her, something that drew him closer every time he spotted her in a crowd. Which was why he wasn't surprised his feet started in her direction before he'd fully made his mind up.

"Bonnie?"

Sniffling, she hurriedly wiped at her cheeks, and looked up at him. "Hey," she choked out. "It's not really a good time."

Her mascara was running, her skin, left mostly uncovered by her nifty little cheerleading outfit, was covered in tiny goosebumps, and no matter how many times she wiped at her cheeks, new tears kept coming.

He hummed. "Probably shouldn't be alone right now… Heard there was a rabid animal running loose."

"Yeah," she murmured, her eyes growing distant.

Damon stared at her a long moment, his lips pursed, and then he sighed, and shrugged his jacket off. "Come on. I'll give you a ride home."

"What?" She blinked up at him, confused.

He waved his jacket at her. "You're cold and distressed. Game's not happening, so I'll drive you home."

"Oh, uh…" She licked her lips, shaking her head. "I— I brought my car."

"Yeah, well, you probably shouldn't be driving." He reached over and swung his jacket across her shoulders, pulling it closed in the front.

Her hands automatically reached up and held either side together. "You don't have to."

"Nope, but I'm offering, and trust me…" He smirked. "That's rare."

She stared up at him a long moment, and then nodded.

"Great. Let's get outta here before Bambi comes looking for dessert, all right?" Hand on her shoulder, he started leading her toward the parking lot where his Camaro was waiting.

They were half-way across the field and she was still looking out of it when he asked, "Did you… know him very well?"

Bonnie let out a scoffing laugh and glanced at him. "Just all of high school. He was my history teacher and he's been coaching football for as long as I can remember…" Her mouth hitched up in a sardonic smile. "I never liked him. I always thought he was an asshole. But… Even assholes don't deserve to die, right?"

"Well, depends on the asshole," he decided. "How high up on the scale was he? Are we talking Hitler levels of asshole? Because then, yeah, definitely deserved to die. But if he was just your regular, garden-variety asshole, then… maybe a little maiming. Some light scarring here or there."

She snorted, and reached up to swipe under her eyes. "I shouldn't laugh. That's awful."

"Death usually is." He shrugged. "So is that why you were crying?"

"A little…" Her brow furrowed. "It wasn't just that though. It was… I don't know. It's stupid and weird and… It makes _no_ sense. But…" She sighed. "I can't explain it, not without sounding crazy."

"Personally, I'm a fan of crazy." His eyes flashed wide for emphasis. "It makes things interesting."

Bonnie glanced at him, and then away, her gaze falling to the ground. "What do you think about the idea of the supernatural? Like… Like witches and warlocks and magic."

"I think…" He paused, then raised an eyebrow back at her. "Are we talking rabbit out of a hat magic or…?"

"No, like… premonitions and powers and occult-y stuff."

"Occult-y," he repeated, his lips twitching.

"Shut up, I'm being serious," she insisted, shoving her elbowing against his.

"Okay, all right." He drew a deep breath. "I don't know what I think. There are… things beyond our control out there. Things that happen that can't be explained. Maybe the answer is something we're just not ready to explore yet, you know?"

"Like witchcraft?" She looked up at him.

Damon turned to her. "You tell me… Are you a witch?"

She stared up at him, chewing her lip, her eyes big and wet and scared. "I think I am," she whispered.

Brow furrowed, he nodded. "Okay."

"Okay?" she asked.

Half-smiling, he said, "In case you haven't noticed, I'm pretty low on friends at the moment. I figure, why discriminate?"

She huffed a laugh, rolling her eyes at him, but Damon just grinned. As they came to a stop in front of his car, he reached over and pulled the passenger door open for her. "Just don't touch the radio and we'll get along famously."

Raising an eyebrow at him, she climbed inside and buckled herself in.

Circling around to hop in the driver's seat, he turned the ignition and wasn't even surprised when her hand reached out to fiddle with the stereo. "You like playing with fire, don't you Bon-Bon?"

Bonnie shrugged, a faint smile pulling at the corner of her lips. "Is that what you are? _Fire_." She searched his face a moment, her brow furrowed. "You gonna burn me, Damon?"

He eyed her thoughtfully, and then put the car in Drive. "Not today, Little Bird."

 _Not today_.

[ **next** : chapter ten]

* * *

 **author's note** : _so in the canon episode, there's a scene near the end where bonnie is looking out on the crime scene as coach tanner is being loaded up and she sees her sort of premonition come to fruition with the car license plate and the car stall number for where tanner was killed (8, 14, 22), and it's this big moment where she basically comes to believe she does have powers, and she starts crying and shaking and rushes off, and you don't see her after that. the ending scene of the episode is stefan basically believing there isn't anything redeeming left in damon, except then he's creepily stroking a sleeping/unaware elena's hair from her face and that's supposed to say different. i like this better for obvious reasons, lol. damon finds himself drawn to bonnie for reasons he doesn't quite understand, but he likes her and we see there is some humanity still in there, lurking about._

 _once more, i fall in love with writing eddy, so i hope you're still enjoying her scenes. we get to see a little of her inner sheriff coming out, as well as some sweet bonding time between her and her mom. stefan will be confronting elena next chapter, while the girls go on their own little shopping spree of relaxation. in the tvd timeline, the next ep happens a few weeks later, so there's going to be some non-episode related stuff coming up, mostly based around steroline's growing relationship, as well as a ton of female friendship and support, and a good look at vicki, who has been sorely ignored of late. hope you're excited!_

 _thanks so much for reading! please try to leave a review, if you can!_

 **\- lee | fina**


	10. want

**chapter rating** : pg-13/teen  
 **word count** : 7,145  
 **summary** : Caroline Salvatore has spent nearly all of her 145 years of undead life cleaning up her brother Damon's messes. But when a familiar face draws her home to Mystic Falls, nothing could have prepared her for what was to come. [AU – Caroline and Stefan, life switch]

* * *

 **-10-**

"Hey, are you okay?"

Bonnie looked up from her lap to find Caroline standing in front of her. "Huh?"

They'd spent much of the morning shopping and, while Caroline was clearly on her second wind, Bonnie's head was elsewhere. Namely, a parking lot, where the body of her history teacher had been found. She just couldn't get the prickly feeling of regret and fear to go away. Some part of her felt like it was _her_ fault. If only she'd known what to look for, how to understand her strange dreams, maybe Tanner wouldn't be dead. But he was, and she was freaking out a little bit.

Caroline, still dressed in the latest new outfit of her choosing, took a seat on the bench next to Bonnie. She reached for her hand and squeezed. "You've been a little spacy all morning. You wanna talk about it?"

Bonnie smiled faintly. "Sorry. I guess I'm still a little shook up about the whole…"

"Murdered teacher thing?" She nodded. "Doesn't happen every day, and especially not to someone you know. That can definitely weigh on a person."

"I just… feel like it could have been avoided. You know?"

Caroline's eyes darted away for a second. "Yeah. I do. It's one of those things. Death has a way of putting things into perspective for you. Life is fleeting. Not just yours, but everybody's. Which is kind of terrifying, actually."

Bonnie nodded. "Yeah."

"And with that _uplifting_ conversation…" She leaned over to bump her shoulder against Bonnie's. "Come on. I can't change what happened, but I can make your closet a little more stylish."

"Oh really?" Bonnie grinned. "Are you suggesting it's not stylish now?"

"I'm saying there's always room for improvement." Standing, she dragged Bonnie up from the bench with her. "Seriously, there's this dress I found that would look _amazing_ on you… Someone smart once said retail therapy will cure just about anything."

"And this smart person is…?"

"Me. Right now." She directed Bonnie to a dressing room and said, "I already grabbed a few things for you to try on. And _ooh_ , there's another top…" She stared at a nearby rack. "How do you feel about purple?"

"I—"

Caroline waved. "Let's just try it on and see, okay?"

Bonnie shook her head, amused. While she was pretty sure retail therapy wasn't going to make her feel any better about Mr. Tanner, avoidance sounded pretty good right now, so it would just have to do.

* * *

 **…**

* * *

Stefan was standing on the Gilbert porch, hands tucked into his pockets, second-guessing just about everything. He had to do this. He _knew_ that. It wasn't like he and Elena hadn't talked since the break-up. They had. But, emotionally charged talks always left him feeling drained and introspective. Their relationship wasn't all terrible. They had some great moments; times he would always cherish. But, so many of them were overshadowed with jealousy and miscommunication and a lack of trust. More than that, he felt himself drifting, disconnected from who he was and what he wanted. His relationships outside of Elena started to suffer and before he knew it, love had turned to resentment. That wasn't who he was or what he wanted to feel.

The door swung open without him having to knock. The rush of air blew Elena's hair back from her shoulders to hang at her back in a sleek, straight sheet. She was beautiful. There was no denying that. Elena had always been the most beautiful person he'd ever seen. Captivating in a way straight out of the movies or a romance novel. It was why it was so easy for him and Matt to be drawn in. For _anyone_ to be drawn in. She turned heads wherever she went, like a siren with a silent call. But, beauty could wear off. It could dull. And cracks formed in the relationship even as her perfect face remained intact.

"Hey…" Her voice softened, low and throaty, like early morning, when you first open your eyes and take that deep breath, letting sleep fall away. "Didn't think I'd see you around here…" She stepped out from the door and crossed her arms in front of her, like she was hugging herself, prepared for an onslaught of condemnation.

He couldn't say there wasn't some part of him that wanted to let loose an avalanche of hurt, if only to soothe his own healing wounds. But, he wasn't there for that, and that wasn't going to make him feel any better. "Yeah. Wasn't really planning on visiting any time soon…" He half-smiled. "I think I stopped driving down your block at some point. The route I take now is probably three blocks out of my way."

Her brow furrowed. "Really?"

He shrugged. "People do weird things when they get their heart broken."

She sighed and tipped her head, staring up at him meaningfully. " _Stefan_ …"

"I don't want you to think it was easy. To… let you go or to move on or any of that. It wasn't. I spent a lot of time being angry. At you and Matt, but mostly… at _me_. I wasn't honest with you when all of this started. I _convinced_ myself that I'd be okay with it, with sharing you. But, I wasn't. And neither was Matt. So instead of just enjoying what we had and being happy when I did have you, I started to hate it. I started to hate who I was and the choices I made and… And I started to hate _you_."

She flinched.

"The thing is, I don't want to hate you, Elena. I don't want to resent you or blame you or any of that. I just… I want to let go of you. And I know that might hurt you, but I can't change that."

"You could, actually. By taking it _back_." She stared up at him searchingly. "I know that you think this makes sense. I know that I hurt you by being with Matt. And I can't take that back. I'm not even sure I would. I mean…" She reached up and tucked her hair behind her ears. "I loved Matt. And as much as I know this whole thing didn't work out for you or him, for me it was… everything I wanted. Because I was loved by two of the most _amazing_ people I know. And I miss that. I miss being loved by you."

He looked down and took a deep, steadying breath. "Look, I didn't come here to talk about our relationship. I meant it when I said that I didn't want to get back together. I _don't_."

She bit her lip and cast her eyes away, damp with tears. "Right. Because you have Caroline now."

"I made my mind up before I ever met Caroline." He shook his head. "I wasn't happy, Elena. Not with my life or who I was becoming or how I _felt_. I just wasn't happy anymore. And Eddy, she said something to me the other day, about how we were like my parents. Pretending that we were happy with what we had but relieved when it finally ended. Maybe that's not how you felt, but when I look back on it, that's what it was for me."

"So, all those times you said you loved me… That you wanted to be with me…"

"I did. I meant them when I said them. But, things change."

" _No_. Love doesn't change." She crossed the space between them and pressed her hands to his chest. "Stefan, we can work this out. Just me and you. No Matt, no Caroline, just _us_."

His hands carefully wrapped around her wrists, holding them in place as he took a step back. "Caroline told me that the two of you talked, that you… You told her we were temporary and that I'd come back to you."

"Because I believe that. I _have_ to believe that."

" _Elena_ …" He stared at her seriously. "I told you. Even if you picked me over Matt, I don't want to do this anymore. We weren't happy together."

" _I_ was."

"But, I wasn't." He pursed his lips, his brow furrowed. "Look, I'll always care about you. You're still my friend. But… I think we need space and… I'm asking you, please, leave Caroline out of this. What we have is new and we're still figuring it out, but I think it could be something special."

She swallowed, her throat bobbing, and gave a jerky nod. "Fine," she said, her voice a choked rasp. "Fine, if that's really what you want."

He released her wrists and let his arms fall to his sides. "It is."

She stared at him, and reached up to dash a tear from her cheek. "Okay."

He nodded, and then turned to walk down the porch stairs. He reached the lawn before she called his name and he looked back at her.

"I meant what I said to Caroline… about us being soul mates. Maybe that doesn't mean now, but… someday."

Stefan stared at her a long moment, and then turned on his heel. He crossed to his car without another word and climbed inside.

Elena stayed on the porch, watching him go, and Stefan couldn't help but wonder if he'd done the right thing. Not by leaving. He knew that he and Elena, they just weren't meant to be. But, her certainty in the end, that somehow they would find each other again, letting her believe it, not denying it… Was that a mistake? Or was letting her hold onto that hope until it eventually dimmed on its own a kinder way to end it?

* * *

 **…**

* * *

"Part of me wants to say that I'm all shopped-out…" Sarah slumped into a seat and let out a long sigh. "Another part of me is wondering if maybe I'm just hungry and after dinner, I'll be all for the next sale."

Lexi grinned. "We won't know until we try. I'm thinking milkshakes. The bigger, the better."

"Ooh, _yes_." Sarah pointed at her and then grabbed up a menu. "And a cheeseburger, with mushrooms and bacon, so big I'll need a second mouth."

"Okay, we did _feed_ you just a few hours ago. Lunch was a thing, right?" Caroline took a seat across from her and hooked her purse over the back of her chair. "Or brunch, I guess."

"Brunch is not lunch." Sarah's brows hiked. "I'm starving."

"Yeah, I'm with you. I seriously need to eat. I feel like I just ran a marathon. Not that I'm complaining, because I think we've actually replaced my _entire_ wardrobe today, but… Still, I need food." Bonnie squinted at the board set up near the front, boasting a variety of specials. "I've never eaten here. Does anyone recommend anything?"

"We had steak the last time we were here," Sarah said. "Caroline likes hers extra rare, just an FYI if you feel like stealing a bite."

Bonnie's nose wrinkled. "Okay, never stealing any meat off _your_ plate. Um… What about the beef dip?"

"It's great." Lexi nodded. "So are the pastas. I'm a hundred percent here for the lasagna."

Caroline frowned. "On a personal level, I'm offended. The lasagna here is subpar."

"Okay, you say that about _every_ lasagna, because you're biased."

"I do _not_."

Sarah grinned. "You do. But if it makes you feel better, _nobody_ cooks a pasta like you do."

Caroline perked up. "It does, thank you."

"You know, I keep hearing you're a good cook, but nobody is sharing anything with me." Bonnie's brows hiked.

"You'll have to come over then. Or we could come to you. Ooh, we should have a girl's night." Lexi nodded. "Yes, mani's, pedi's, cheesy movies, junk food, the _works_."

"That sounds great. I definitely think I'm due for a girl's night in."

"Awesome." Caroline turned her attention to the waitress that stopped by the table for their drink orders. When she was gone, Caroline sat forward, resting her arms atop the table. "So? Are we thinking of hitting that last sale or going home?"

"As it is, I'm going to have to empty out my closet to fit everything I got today," Bonnie said. "But I'm not opposed to watching you guys strike your best cat walk pose."

"I think I'm shopped out," Lexi said. "I need a nap."

Sarah moped a little. "Much as I want to keep going, I think I'm done, too. I have a long night of trying to find somewhere to put all this stuff as it is."

"Okay, dinner, then home." Caroline nodded. "As for the girl's night, we should do it soon. What are you doing next weekend?"

Bonnie shrugged. "I think I'm free. As long as cheerleading doesn't interrupt, but, considering Elena basically quit, I'm not sure I'll stay on the team much longer…"

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mostly did it because she wanted to. I don't know…"

"Well, if you quit cheerleading you can go back to dancing," Caroline reminded. "You said you were missing it."

"True." She smiled. "That'd be nice."

As the waitress returned with their drinks, they fell into an easy conversation about what they'd do on their girls' night.

* * *

 **…**

* * *

"Hey," a voice called from the doorway.

Stefan turned in his desk chair to see Eddy standing in his doorway. "Hey… What're you doing up so late?"

She shrugged and walked into his room. "I made you something."

"You did?"

She nodded and shoved a hand forward with a wrinkled piece of paper held aloft. "It's not much. It's just a bunch of songs. But, I listened to them a lot after the divorce and they made me feel better. I know it's not the same, but, after dad left, it kind of felt like he died. Or our family did, or something. I don't know. Anyway, I thought if they made me feel better about _that_ , they might make you feel better about Coach Tanner. He was kind of a jerk. I know you're not supposed to say anything bad about the dead, but, whatever. It's _true_." She rocked back on her heels. "Just listen to them, okay?"

Stefan stared down at the ragged piece of paper she'd torn out of a notebook, her slanted chicken scratch penning out songs and bands. She'd even added stars to her favorites. His mouth inched up at the corner. "You listened to these because of dad?"

She shrugged. "I'm not like you. I can't write in my journal to make it better."

"I don't know if my journal makes it better, exactly." His brows flashed up. "Mostly it just helps me think."

"Yeah, that's what music does for me. The lyrics don't always fit, but the music does. When I'm angry it gets loud, and when I'm sad it gets quiet…"

He nodded, and looked up at her. "Thank you for this."

"It's no big deal." She flushed and ducked her head awkwardly.

"It is to me."

Rolling her eyes, she huffed at him. "You're such a sap."

He laughed. "I can be, yeah." He wheeled his chair closer to her. "C'mere. I want a hug."

"No!" she cried, but laughed as he reached for her, dragging her closer. Ringing her arms around his neck, she let out a little sigh, and dropped her chin to his shoulder. "I'm sorry your coach got savagely murdered by a so-called wild animal."

Amused, he turned his eyes upward. She was baiting him, and he probably shouldn't ask, but… "So-called?"

Leaning back, she looked at him seriously. "You wanna hear my theory?"

"I have a feeling I can guess…" He searched her face. "Please tell me you weren't on the Wikipedia page for serial killers again. You made me check every window and door in the house _three_ times after your last spiral."

"Home safety is no joke, Stefan!" She sighed, loud and loud. "Anyway, that's not the _point!_ We totally have a serial killer, right here in Mystic Falls! Do you know how cool that is?"

"Cool or terrifying? 'Cause if it was true, I'd definitely be leaning closer to one and not the other."

She rolled her eyes. "Our sleepy town is about to get crazy _interesting_. We might even get reporters from out of town! Or the FBI!"

"Right, that's just the kind of attention we want around here… Not to mention the part where it means people will die."

"Well, we could always try and track him down ahead of time..." she said, thoughtfully. "I took some notes on what the most common characteristics of a serial killer is, like age, ethnicity, gender, that kind of thing."

"We really need to sign you up for some extra-curriculars or something. Get you back on the soccer team or debate or _something_."

She frowned. "I have a plastic badge in my room from my fourth birthday that says Junior Detective on it. Does that count?"

He blinked at her. "No."

"Lame."

"Look, it's not a serial killer."

"How do you _know?_ "

He shrugged. "Because. Don't you think mom would say something? You think she'd let us walk around here if there was some killer on the loose?"

Eddy pursed her lips. "Maybe she hasn't figured it out yet. Or _maybe_ they're covering their tracks really well."

" _Or_ it's not a serial killer and it's just a wild animal."

"What kind of wild animal attacks someone in a crowded place? It would have to come all the way into town and attack Coach Tanner right around the corner from the football field. Do you know how _loud_ it was out there? Animals stalk easy prey. The noise would've scared it off."

"Now you're a serial killer _and_ an animal expert?"

"Never put all your eggs in one basket, Stefan. You've got to know a little about a lot."

"Right." He smothered a smile and leaned back in his chair. "Look, I'm not saying you're wrong. Something weird definitely happened. But, I'm not sure we should jump on the serial killer bandwagon just yet."

Her eyes narrowed and her chin set stubbornly. "You watch…" She turned on her heel and fled for the door. "And listen to the playlist!"

Stefan watched her go and then turned his gaze down to the list in his hand. Turning his seat around, he reached for his laptop and opened it. It couldn't hurt to give it a listen.

* * *

 **…**

* * *

"Still not talking to me?"

Caroline rolled her eyes as she walked through the kitchen, intent on the freezer, where a few blood bags were waiting, only to find Damon leisurely seated atop the island counter.

"You used to do this when we were kids, too. The silent treatment was your favorite. I never told you, but it was mine, too. You were always _talking, talking, talking_ …" He mocked speaking with his hand. "It was nice to take a break."

Digging out a mug, Caroline emptied her blood bag into it and placed it inside the microwave to warm up. She hugged her cardigan around her a little snugger and rested her back against the counter as she waited for the timer to tick down.

"Come on… It's been a few days already." Actually, a day and a half, _barely_. "You've had your little sulk and gone on your shopping spree with the girls." He smirked at her. "It was one _tiny_ slip. And besides, I heard the guy was a _serious_ asshole. Maybe I did you a favor…"

She glared witheringly in his direction.

Damon shrugged. "Just a thought." Hopping down off the counter, he tipped his head and extended his hearing. "Sounds like our nephew's waking up for the day. I should go before he makes anymore empty threats." Rolling his eyes, he grabbed up his leather jacket from the back of a chair and pulled it on, patting the pockets in search of his car keys. "Same time tomorrow?"

Caroline sighed, but refused to rise to the bait and instead focused on the nice warm mug of blood she pulled from the beeping microwave. When she turned back around, he was gone, and a yawning Zach walked into the kitchen, running a hand through his curly hair. "Mornin'," he mumbled.

"Morning," she replied quietly, distantly, as she stared at the island counter.

Maybe tomorrow she _would_ talk to her brother, and remind him it was time he left.

* * *

 **…**

* * *

"Hey…" Liz stood at the kitchen island, dressed in her Sheriff's uniform, her hands wrapped around a mug of coffee. "We haven't had a chance to talk much lately."

Stefan glanced at her from his seat at the kitchen table, a bowl of cereal growing soggy in front of him. "Things've just been busy. It's fine."

"Your Coach died…" She stared at him worriedly. "I know you weren't super close, but he's still been a pretty big part of your life for a while."

"He didn't deserve to die like that." Stefan dropped his gaze to his bowl, his brow furrowed. "You know, Eddy thinks it was a serial killer."

There was a pause before Liz gave a huff of a laugh. "What?"

"Yeah. She thinks it's strange, an animal getting that close to town… Attacking so close to a crowd of people…"

"There's been discussion about how the local wildlife might be too used to us. That they're not afraid of people like they used to be." She shrugged. "Stefan, you can't really believe there's a serial killer walking around… I mean, it's Mystic Falls."

"Yeah." He half-smiled. "It sounds crazy."

"Yes, it does." She stared at him. "It's an animal. I know your sister thinks small town life is a little boring so she comes up with ways to make it more interesting, but… Don't spread the theory around, okay? I'm getting enough calls about the animal attack. If people start thinking the next Charles Manson is living here, I won't get any peace."

"Yeah, no, of course."

"Thank you." She sipped at her coffee before her phone started beeping demandingly.

"Duty calls," he said.

She sighed. "I really do want to talk. About Coach Tanner and you and… How things are going with Caroline."

He ducked his face as he felt his cheeks warm. "It's new and we're still figuring it out."

"She seems nice. And Eddy really likes her."

"Yeah, well, Eddy also likes zombies, so…" He smiled and stood from the table, taking his cereal bowl to the sink. "But, we'll talk. Soon. I promise." He dropped a kiss on her cheek before he left the kitchen. Worry settled low in his stomach. He wanted to believe his mother that all they had to worry about was a wild animal, but something wasn't sitting right.

* * *

 **…**

* * *

"You think it'll be weird?" Sarah wondered, sitting on the edge of her bed as she laced up her boots. "I mean, going back to school knowing that Damon killed Coach Tanner."

Lexi shrugged, leaning in the doorway. "Do _you_ feel weird?"

"Kind of. I mean, the football team is basically stuck. I don't know if they're going to sub someone else in or end the season early. A man is _dead_. And I know who did it…"

"I feel like that might be the part you're tripping up on. The whole 'my uncle's a killer' bit."

"I mean, I knew that he'd killed people. My dad's mentioned it a few thousand times and you're not exactly his biggest fan. But… I don't know. It's weird. I've known about vampires my whole life, but I kind of feel like I had a glamorized view of it, you know? Not like Twilight levels of 'vampires are just sparkly mosquitoes.' But, I know how controlled you and Caroline are. It's weird to think some vampires aren't. That they just _kill_ indiscriminately."

"If you ask me, it wasn't so indiscriminate… Damon likes to make a point and that's what this was. He was telling Caroline he wouldn't be controlled. Proving he had the upper hand."

"And someone had to die for him to do that?" Her brow furrowed. "I don't know how I'm supposed to feel about that."

"Loyalty to family is hard. You want to believe the best in them, even when the evidence tells you different." Sighing, Lexi pushed off the doorjamb. "I can't tell you how to feel. You'll figure it out on your own. It might take a little time, but you'll get there."

"Yeah." She blew out a breath and stood. Throwing her arms out, she did a little twirl. "Well? How do we like my new outfit?"

Lexi whistled, long and loud. "Very nice."

Sarah grinned and took a little bow. "Thank you."

"Come on. We should get going. I think Caroline's eager to get to school." She wiggled her eyebrows meaningfully.

"Ooh…" She laughed. "I wonder _why._ "

* * *

 **…**

* * *

"Stefan!"

He turned, a smile breaking out across his face as he saw her.

Caroline weaved throughout the crowded school hallway to reach him. "Hey…" she said, a little breathless.

"Hey." He reached for her, their hands meeting in the middle. "It's weird. It's been maybe a day but I feel like it's been a week."

"Yeah." Her shoulders slumped. "Me, too." She stepped closer, squeezing his hands. "How are you? I know you're probably sick of that question by now, but…"

"I'm good, really." He nodded. "Probably won't be playing football anytime soon, but, I'll survive."

Reaching up, she laid a hand on his shoulder and dragged it down his arm soothingly. "If you wanna talk…"

"Actually, I was hoping I could cash in that raincheck?"

"Yeah?" She perked up. "Of course. When?"

"I was hoping tonight, actually. I know it's kind of short notice, so if you can't make it."

"I'm free."

"Yeah? Great! Then, I thought maybe we could just go to Mystic Grill? Have a burger, play pool, do something normal…"

She smiled. "I'd like that."

He grinned. "Okay."

The bell rang then, shrill and demanding.

"You want an escort to class?"

Hooking her arm through his, she nodded. "Since you're going to the same place, yeah."

* * *

 **…**

* * *

Lexi had skipped class and found herself in Mystic Grill, texting Lee while she picked at a basket of fries. The whole high school shtick wasn't really her bag, but she was happy Caroline was enjoying herself. It was a small upside, considering the chaos that had quickly followed and would, no doubt, overstay it's welcome.

"That throbbing vein in your forehead might be scaring the locals, Lex." Damon took a seat across from her, smirking widely. "Hey, _sis_."

Lexi's eyes narrowed. "Damon."

"Been a while."

"Not long enough." Putting her phone aside, she leaned forward, resting her arms on the table. "Any particular reason you're here, bothering me?"

"Well, my _actual_ sister is playing normal at school. A little sad, super pathetic, and something of a barrier. Hanging out in high school parking lots looks _skeevy_. So, I thought I'd come see how my adopted sister's doing."

"Well, I _was_ enjoying my lunch before an unexpected guest showed up. But, that's kind of your thing these days, huh?"

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not allowed to visit? You know, for all your complaining, I'm keeping the casualty count _low_. We both know I could be doing a lot worse."

She gritted her teeth, but forced herself to look unaffected and casual. "Is that a threat?"

"Just a fact." He smirked. "So, what brought you back here? I know Carebear came back because that second-rate Katherine-double caught her eye. But, what dragged you out of the shadows? I thought you and what's-his-face were on your vampire honeymoon. You did turn him, didn't you?"

"I don't _get_ you…" She shook her head. "Every once in a while, you get back on the wagon, flip the switch on, and play by the rules. It can't all be Katherine. I never met her, but I've heard enough stories to know she wasn't _that_ special. Just your average, two-timing skank, too greedy for her own good."

"Are you fishing for a reaction, Lex?" He stared at her searchingly. "You and I both know that Katherine was a hurdle I hopped over a long time."

"But, not one you've stopped dangling in front of Caroline." She cocked her head to the side. "Why is that?"

"She's easy to rile up when you press the right buttons." He shrugged. "I get bored."

"That's not it." She lifted an eyebrow. "She was your best friend once. Your hunting partner and the only person you could turn to when shit hit the fan."

"She was supposed to be. But, when I needed her there, she didn't show."

"So, all of this is just leftover PTSD from that Augustine experiment?" She snorted. "You know, you'd think after all this time, you might stop by a therapist's office."

"I did." His eyes flashed wide. "She said I had Daddy issues, so I _ate_ her."

Lexi sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. "For someone who hates his sister, you sure go out of your way to find her a lot. You wanna know what I think?"

"Not particularly." He sighed.

"You miss her. More, you miss _you_. The you that you used to be. That she _reminds_ you of. The you that Sarah still hopes you are. The one you bury in blood and bourbon and bitter snark. You can pretend all you want that this is just your vengeance streak showing itself, but I've seen you at your best, Damon. There's a good guy under all your angsty drama. You've gotten good at hiding him, but he's still there. And eventually, you'll let him out again. Because that's what you do. You hide who you are behind this poor-man's imitation of a bad guy."

"The dead guy I left in a parking lot a couple nights ago would say different."

"Humans come and go, live and die. They always will. I don't approve of your methods. Most of the time, I don't even like you. But, Caroline still thinks there's something redeemable in there. And as much as you pretend there isn't, I think you hope she's right." Pushing out of the booth, she stood, hooking her bag over her shoulder. "It was nice catching up, _Big Brother_. We should do this more. I feel _good_." With a grin, she turned on her heel and strolled away, leaving Damon to brood in her wake.

* * *

 **…**

* * *

"So, what's your pool game like? I know Lexi's a shark, but what about you?" Stefan wondered, leaning back against the lockers. It was lunch time and they were hanging in the hallway while the majority of the school had gone outside to soak up the sun.

"I'm not _terrible_ , but I'm not sure that's much to boast about. Lexi's tried to teach me a few times, but I never really got the hang of it."

He hummed. "Okay, well, we can go somewhere else if you want."

She smiled. "Yeah? And what else does the _illustrious_ Mystic Falls have to offer?"

"Not much," he admitted. "We could… go to the movies."

Her nose scrunched. "Then we can't talk. Well, I'll still talk, but we'll get booed at."

He grinned. "We could rent a movie then. You can talk through the whole thing, I'll keep the booing to a minimum."

"At your place?"

"Sure. We can get take-out from Mystic Falls. Order something off OnDemand."

She nodded. "Yeah, okay, I'd like that."

"Great." Tiny bursts of excitement spread across his chest. Every time she said she wanted to hang out with him, he felt a little floaty. It wasn't a completely new sensation. He'd felt something like it before. But, with Caroline, it was a little different. The anticipation was stronger and deeper and it hit him a little harder. He wasn't sure what that meant. A cynical part of him couldn't help but think that the harder he fell, the harder the landing was going to be. But, that implied there was no one to catch him, and he wondered if that wasn't necessarily true.

She reached for him, hooking her fingers in the pocket of his zip-up hoodie and pulling him forward. He stood upright, chest to chest with her, one hand settling on her hip, the other burying in her hair. He could feel his heart beating a little too fast and let out a quiet sigh, staring down at her. "It's weird… I feel like I should be more upset about what's been going on lately. And I am. I feel bad about Coach Tanner, but…" He stared at her searchingly. "This… Being with you… I can't help being happy."

"Good… Maybe that's exactly what you need." She tipped her chin up, letting the tip of her nose nuzzle against his. "And for the record… You make me happy, too."

He smiled before he kissed her, his fingers folding around the nape of her neck, thumb stroking behind her ear. They stumbled, his back bumping the lockers, and he laughed a little. His eyes had fallen closed and he opened them, staring down at her, bright blue eyes gazing back. "Have I mentioned I'm really glad you moved here?"

Her nose scrunched up. "It was implied."

He huffed a laugh and kissed her again. He kept kissing her, right up until the bell rang, and even then, he lingered at her mouth for a little while.

"After school," she said, leaning back, a little out of breath, her lips flushed red and puffy. "I, uh… I have to drop Sarah off and stop by my place. But after, I'll meet you at Mystic Grill?"

"Mm-hmm." He nodded, his gaze moving across her face, memorizing this look on her.

Caroline dragged a hand down his chest and settled it over his heart. "We'll pick this up later."

"Promise?"

She bit her lip and walked backwards. "I do."

* * *

 **…**

* * *

After school, Bonnie found herself standing in front of the dance studio, chewing on her lip with indecision.

"There' my favorite little witch."

Startled, Bonnie looked up, right into a pair of piercing blue eyes. "Damon…" Her heart jumped. "Uh, hey. What're you doing here?"

"Not much. This town's not exactly _hopping_ with interesting things to do." He nodded toward the studio. "You going in?"

She shrugged. "I don't know… I quit the cheerleading squad today."

"Really? Did you return the outfit?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "No."

"Smart thinking. You never know when you'll need that." He tucked his arms behind his back. "So? Is Bonnie about to get her groove back?"

She rocked back on her heels. "It's been a while. I'm not sure I have what it takes."

"Can't know unless you try." He shrugged. "So, these dance classes you wanna take, do they involve leg warmers at all? Asking for a friend, obviously."

She snorted. "Leg warmers? _Seriously?_ "

"I've got a visual in my head of you going full Flash Dance. Not the water bucket scene, although I wouldn't complain, but I was thinking more of the really sweaty dance workouts. She wore a lot of leg warmers for those."

"I'm sure her fashion choices were why you watched," she muttered dryly.

"You're avoiding the question, Bon-Bon…"

Rolling her eyes, she said, "I own a pair, yes. I don't plan on wearing them anytime soon."

"Pity." He sighed.

She glanced at him. "What're you really doing here?"

"A guy can't go for a walk?"

"There's nothing around here for you to be walking _to?_ Are you checking up on me since I…"

"Since you… _what?_ " His eyebrows hiked. "Revealed you might be a _witch?_ "

"Don't say that word." She looked around nervously. "Someone could hear you."

"So? What're they gonna do?" His complete lack of worry only seemed to make hers worse. It was easy for him to be unconcerned when it wasn't his life that could be screwed up.

"I don't want people to think I'm crazy." She crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "Besides, whatever happened on Saturday, it was just a fluke. Coach Tanner is dead, but I didn't have anything to do with it. "

"No, but you were pretty upset." He tipped his head, staring at her curiously. "Whatever happened, it convinced you that you might be a witch, so…"

Bonnie chewed on her lip in indecision. Thinking of the numbers that had been stuck in her head— _8, 14, 22_ — like a sign or a warning. "I think I knew. Some part of me that I don't understand… I think it knew that something was going to happen." She fidgeted, shifting her feet from side to side. "And I can't help thinking that if I'd _done_ something—" Tears bit at her eyes. "What if I missed the message? Like some cosmic force was telling me that I had a chance to change things and I wasn't _listening_."

"Hey!" He reached for her, his hands falling to her shoulders. "It doesn't matter what kind of witchy lines of communication got tangled. You couldn't stop what happened."

She stared up at him, her brow knotted. "How do you know?"

He pursed his lips. "Look, if you _are_ a witch, you're new at it. You can't get down on yourself for not knowing exactly what to do or what's going on. There's a learning curve to this kind of stuff. You've got some catching up to do."

She frowned. "You sound like you know a lot about witches."

"Or I'm just _spectacular_ at pep-talks." He half-grinned. "So? You feel better?"

"Strangely, yes." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I also feel like I should probably talk to my Grams. Whatever's going on, I think she knows more about it than I do. And maybe it's time to stop assuming she's making all of this witch junk up and actually hear her out."

"Can't hurt." He turned and nodded his chin toward the studio. "So, no leg warmers then?"

She turned to face the building a long moment. "Maybe I can just sign up, you know? And if I get a chance, I can stop in, see how it goes."

"Is there a place for observers to sit? I can make a 'Go Bonnie' t-shirt if you really impress me."

Rolling her eyes, she shoved at his arm. "You're not allowed to come." She walked ahead, climbing the stairs to the door.

"What if I'm on my best behavior?" he called after her.

She looked back at him, grinning up at her. "What qualifies as 'best behavior' in your books?"

His grin widened into a smirk.

"Yeah, that's what I thought…" She shook her head. "Call me when you grow up."

"You might be waiting a while."

"I'm a patient person."

He chuckled to himself.

Bonnie reached for the door handle, but paused, swamped with a sudden burst of uncertainty.

Suddenly, Damon was right next to her again. She had no idea how he got up the stairs that quickly or quietly. "Stop second guessing yourself." He pulled the door open for her and waved her inside. "I might not be there to cheer you on in person, but I can be there in spirit."

She stared up at him, her brow furrowed. "I don't know if you're being sincere or not, but… That might be one of the nicest things someone's ever said to me."

He hummed. "You need to get out more. Meet new people. Make better friends."

She snorted. " _Thanks_."

"Just saying." He tipped his head, urging her on.

"Okay." Taking a deep breath, she nodded, and walked through the door. Looking back at him, she said, sincerely, "Really. Thank you."

He winked at her.

Bonnie walked ahead to the front desk and when the receptionist turned to see her, she didn't chicken out. "Yeah, I was wondering about any Hip-Hop classes…?"

* * *

 **…**

* * *

Caroline had changed her outfit twice before finally deciding to stop worrying about it. It was just dinner and a movie, no big deal. But, a part of her felt like it was a _very_ big deal. As much as she kept trying to convince herself and everybody else that her and Stefan were just some casual thing, whenever she was around him, she felt something inside her light up. Like a part of her was stuck on dim this whole time and now it was realizing its full capacity. It was a little scary, actually. For so long, she'd told herself she was happy with what she had. She didn't want more than casual and easy. But, there was something about Stefan that made her feel like maybe she was wrong. Maybe she could want more and have more and it could be _amazing_.

It was the worst timing. Her brother was out trying to prove his full sociopathic range and an exact double of her ex- _whatever_ was her new… Was it too early to call him her boyfriend? Kind of, right? Ugh, dating was so awkward. In any case, her new love interest's ex-girlfriend looked exactly like _her_ ex-girlfriend. The same ex that had turned her life on its head. That was weird, right? Her and Stefan were just starting and already she could feel the baggage they were carrying.

And yet, that didn't stop her from touching up her make-up and driving out to Mystic Grill to meet him for their date. It didn't stop that giddy feeling from swimming around in her stomach. And it definitely didn't stop that little light inside of her from hitting an all new high as she stepped into The Grill and saw him waiting for her at the bar. If her heart could beat, it would be jumping out of her chest. Because when he looked at her, she thought she saw that same light in him, and she knew it was impossible that she fell in love with him in less than a week, but damn if it didn't feel like she was already on a precipice and leaning over.

"Hey." He reached for her as she came to a stop just short of him, his hand settling on her side.

"Hi." She felt breathless and a little dizzy, but it was good. The kind of feeling she hadn't felt in a very long time, and so much better than it'd ever been.

He smiled down at her. "You know what you want?"

He meant the menu, she was sure. What she wanted to order for dinner. But, in that moment, it meant something entirely different. And for the first time, since all of this started, despite all the reasons she shouldn't, she said—

"Yeah… I do."

She wanted _him_.

Damn the consequences.

* * *

 **tbc**

* * *

 **note** : _i don't have words for how completely unhappy i am with the series finale. steroline has been my otp for this show from the very beginning. from the moment she saw him in the hallway. i fell in love with caroline's character and i was so happy to see their friendship grow and grow into something beautiful. i wasn't always happy with the direction the show went with these two, but in the end, we know they loved each other. enough to have a beautiful wedding and to want a real and long future together. i think, with better writers, they would've made it long past this terrible finale, which i just outright reject, frankly. i still love these two and i still plan to write for them._

 _i'm sorry for how late this chapter is. i'm juggling a lot of stories and school and work and regular life. but i have a lot still to come for them in this fic, so i hope you'll keep reading it._

 _next chapter will pick up around the founder's ball!_

 _thanks so much for reading; please, try to leave a review!  
_ **\- Lee | Fina**


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